To: Bearded One who wrote (10602 ) 9/8/1998 8:50:00 PM From: Daniel Schuh Respond to
Sure Bearded One, I'll add a comment or two. (on zdnet.com Public sentiment toward Microsoft seems to be taking a downward turn and spiraling out of control. At least that's what you'd think if you read some of the feedback that ZDNet's Charles Cooper got for his harsh review of Wendy Rohm's new anti-Microsoft book, The Microsoft File: The Secret Case Against Bill Gates. It appears that defending Microsoft is getting more and more difficult. In fact, it may be too late for the company to recover easily from the bad publicity its business practices are engendering. Even the letter writers who praise Microsoft are using propagandistic language that reflects poorly on Microsoft. is John Galt" line, propaganda doesn't seem right for that.Eventually, nobody is going to want to do deals with Microsoft. And who will want to develop for a Microsoft platform? Nobody, that's who. Microsoft, in fact, is digging its own grave. zdnet.com 1. Shut up. Over the past few years Microsoft has talked too much. And I don't mean talking to the press about the glories of Office 97. I mean spouting off. Curiously, it's mostly Bill Gates himself rather than his flame-throwing sidekick Steve Ballmer who's blown the most smoke. Ballmer has been told to shut up while Gates appears on TV, makes keynote speeches everywhere possible to plead his case, and does quickie interviews with everyone who will listen. Heck, did you see his TV ad for Callaway golf clubs? What was the point of that? Exactly why the media wasn't all over that appearance still baffles me. Gates, over time, has adopted many Japanese-like attitudes when it comes to business, but he's ignored the Japanese philosophy of keeping a low profile.
