[dundee] Microsoft tactics - Universities

[Lee Hughes]

I think microsoft kinda distracts from the argument, I like to say one vendor systems are always a monopoly, and I've always been taught that monopolies are bad. So why do we make an exception when we come to software. Why does my uni
favor a company with is taken to court for dubious business
practices and unethical conduct. Is that laying an example down
to young minds, that acting in this mannor is okay. That embrace , extend and extinguish are good business? 

I mean, we sell fair trade coffee in the uni bar, why can't we
have ethical software in use on the network?

I suggest you all check this , and get back to me.

http://www.thecorporation.com/index.cfm?page_id=46

Laters,
Lee



gordon dunlop <gordon at zubenel.freeserve.co.uk> wrote: A new theory, by targeting University students with ultra-low prices and 
special deals to Universities in licensing of machines,i.e, for every 
Windows OS license we will chuck in a free copy of Office (3 times the 
cost of the OS license) are they trying to control the future. It may 
cost Microsoft $1 billion to do this, profits are $12 billion annually, 
why ? I think that Universities are the breeding grounds for the future 
leaders of technology and society in general, yes people with little 
educational background can reach the top, 95% of computer programmers, 
technical engineers & scientists have University backgrounds. By trying 
to mold them within their system means a certain amount of control over 
them e.g. I like Microsoft because they helped me in doing my 
dissertation. In business, law and social studies, by being used to 
their systems when you rise up the ranks you will be Microsoft 
orientated.  There is one profession where Microsoft is limited and that 
is in science, as a former scientist I had windows on my desktop but for 
serious number crunching I could only use Unix with programming in 
Fortran (shows my age). It is still true to today that scientists use 
Linux for the flexibility, control and programming capabilities that 
cannot be had in the Windows system. It is a peculiar theory and I could 
be completely wrong about this, but if it creates dialogue within the 
Linux user group that is OK. It is better to say something rather than 
nothing as we can only learn by our mistakes.

gordon


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