Article:		An Interview with Tim O'Reilly
Subject:		MSFT: Success=Mistrust?
Date:		2002-12-09 04:25:34
From:		jonogden
Frankly, I expected better of O'Reilly. He displays bias based on paranoia and the typical Unix geeks's jealousy of the MSFT world. If there's no reason to reject Passport except that Microsoft created it, then there's no reason to reject Passport, period. The product is good, or it's not good. If you don't get that, you don't belong in Info Tech, you belong in a cult, preaching to the true believers.

Showing messages 1 through 2 of 2.

• MSFT: Success=Mistrust?
  2002-12-12 12:11:43  davidefrank [View]
  
  
  Hm. Your definition of "good" must be VERY narrow. If it's "good" to ignore the effects of market forces, historic system and network vulnerabilities, and a clearly demonstrated corporate culture of both a stifling level of control and the exclusion of "foreign" applications and OSs, then My .Net is indeed good. Especially if YOU are a True Believer.
  
  MSFT is indeed successful. AND they have indeed earned a degree of cautious mistrust on all our parts. The technological issues are not the ONLY issues.
• MSFT: Success=Mistrust?
  2003-05-08 21:37:34  awhitson [View]
  
  
  I am not going to be an MSFT apologist here, but lets make sure we give credit where it is due. The market forces you refer to are a direct spinoff of the successful products MSFT brought to us in the first place. You know; backward compatibility, robust help, integrated apps -- all those things that were not present in the pre-MSFT world.
  
  While I agree with Mr. O'Reilly on the need to recognize PASSPORT for what it really is, an attempt to gather and own marketable information, I do not agree that this makes MSFT some kind of marketplace monster. Bill just happens to be the guy who recognized the value of the property. Monopoly is the american way! We just have to make sure we keep our eyes on the players, reminding them once in a while that it takes more than ONE to make a game.
  
  Finally, note that MSFT has chosen a push towards open standards, in its attempt to reinvent itself. Without .NET, where would SOAP and Services really be? Hit them when they deserve it, but lets keep some perspective so that we can all make the kind of judgements that don't require "True Belief" or oathes of allegience.
  
  Al Whitson