[NTLUG:Discuss] MicroSoft Goes Open?

[Kenneth Loafman]

Thomas Cameron (Red Hat) wrote:
> Kenneth Loafman wrote:
> | Thomas Cameron (Red Hat) wrote:
> |> Kenneth Loafman wrote:
> |> | Thomas Cameron (Red Hat) wrote:
> |> |> Stan Gatchel wrote:
> |> |> | What's your take on this? Big splash in the news yesterday.
> |> |> |
> |> |> | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/21/microsoft_goes_open/
> |> |>
> |> |> It's crap.  Odd how this announcement (one of MANY such announcements
> |> |> which have never been followed through) comes just a week before the
> |> |> OOXML vote, eh?
> |> |>
> |> |> This is a shameless attempt to sway that vote.  The world is just
> |> |> Charlie Brown to Microsoft's Lucy.  The football is openness.
> |> |>
> |> |> Don't believe it for a moment.
> |> |
> |> | The ones that will believe it are our congresscritters.  That's scary!
> |>
> |> They're *your* congresscritters.  Enlighten them.  Part of
> |> representative democracy is supposed to be the reps listening to their
> |> constituents.
> |
> | If I had a lobbyist working for me and money to burn, they would listen,
> | otherwise, your comment is quite naive.
> 
> Horse feathers.  I correspond with my reps pretty often.  I know my one
> voice doesn't make that much of a difference, but I also know it does
> make a difference.

Yes, when one voice can join many, it helps.  But having money to give
them helps even more.  Clinton has even said that Lobbyists represent
real people.  She's representative.  Most lobbyists represent business
and those are not real people.  They are the voice of the folks in
charge, not the workers.

Correspondence with my reps means I get a lot of form letters back
saying they will consider my views when all that really happens is that
some staffer reads the letter and puts a tick in the Yay or Nay column
for that issue.  Then they vote based on which pays the most.  ;-)

> | It does no good without money to line their pockets.
> 
> That's a horribly jaded attitude, and not true in every case.  Money
> certainly helps but it is not required.

Not jaded, just cynical.  I look at things like this current fight over
FISA as proof of my point.  The Republicans are not going to let their
big-ticket donors get sued for breaking the law if they can possibly
help it.  Calling/Writing does absolutely no good (I do both).  I'm
hoping enough of us can join in to keep the Telco's on the hook for what
they've done, but I have my doubts.  The current administration does not
listen to the people, just companies.

Back on the original topic, I would love to see Microsoft go to open
standards, but I don't think that will be in my lifetime.  Maybe in my
son's lifetime, once Gates, Balmer and others retire.  Way too much at
stake for their reputations to change their ways at this point.

...Ken