[members at lugog] Fwd: [LUG] Number 10 Petition

[MJ Ray]

Sean Miller <sean at seanmiller.net>
> Is this something that should be driven by government?  Would we
> petition the Prime Minister if Tesco were not stocking a certain type
> of apple, or would we ask Tesco (in numbers) if they could consider
> stocking it?

The government is responsible for ensuring a fair market and I feel
that the lack of OS choice is due to unfair practices similar to
those for which Microsoft has been convicted in the past.

> The Labour Government since 1997 has introduced more new laws, I
> believe, than any government before it.

What is that belief based upon?  
Conservatives government 1980-1996: 997 Acts;
       Labour government 1998-2009: 451 Acts.

Even if you average that to take into account of the different lengths
of time, it's nowhere near.

Please, check your beliefs, else rational debate is difficult.

[...]
> The fact is that the reason most stores stock Windows is "supply and
> demand" - people want Windows. [...]

Prove it.  I've checked one legend from that email already.

There's also the question of whether the majority should be able to
exclude minority options - the so-called tyranny of the market.


About the introduction of new laws:

Counting http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/ and ignoring the changeover
years:

Labour:
  1998: 49
  1999: 35
  2000: 45
  2001: 25
  2002: 44
  2003: 45
  2004: 38
  2005: 24
  2006: 55
  2007: 31
  2008: 33
  2009: 27
 TOTAL: 451

Conservatives:
  1980: 67
  1981: 69
  1982: 57
  1983: 60
  1984: 62
  1985: 76
  1986: 66
  1987: 53
  1988: 55
  1989: 46
  1990: 46
  1991: 69
  1992: 61
  1993: 52
  1994: 41
  1995: 54
  1996: 63
 TOTAL: 997


Hope that explains,
-- 
MJ Ray (slef)  Webmaster and LMS developer at     | software
www.software.coop http://mjr.towers.org.uk        |  .... co
IMO only: see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html |  .... op