[Gllug] [OT] Support model for Linux vs M$

[Jose Luis Martinez]

On Sat, Mar 14, 2009 at 2:48 PM, Christopher Hunter <cehunter at gb-x.org> wrote:
> On Sat, 2009-03-14 at 12:50 +0000, Richard Jones wrote:
>
>> > It's too Utopian to expect MS and Apple to reveal their inner workings.
>>
>> Microsoft and Apple rely on the state for many things: their own
>> incorporation, the police for stability, the (C) police for their
>> business model, the roads to move their workers and products around,
>> and much more.  If we want to force Microsoft to reveal their
>> interfaces, you'd better believe we have the power to make that
>> happen.
>
> Actually, no.  We don't.  Unfortunately MS argue (so far successfully)
> that "their" software is sacrosanct, and the rest of the unwashed hordes
> had better not even think about looking at it!
>
> C.
>

Voters have the power to mandate pretty much whatever is necessary to
promote progress.

Sometimes the problem is that the democratic process is too blunt an
instrument to effect change.  Lets say lots of people would like
patent and copyright reform, but there are other issues that take
precedence (trifle matters like wars, economic crises and the like),
so very often the populace have to vote for the people that they think
will address those main issues  which give people in power almost cart
blanche to do as they please elsewhere.

The only way to sway such issues is by pressure, so it becomes
politically damaging to support a certain stance.

As things are going it would not surprise me if in 20 years time the
conditions exist to rein in companies that monopolize markets in the
digital world, once a new breed of politicians with a different
outlook regarding copyright and patents reach the corridors of
power...
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