Re: Common carriers, not actually afflicted.

Jeff Bone (jbone@activerse.com)
Tue, 19 May 1998 10:14:43 -0500


>> (7) Enforce strict "Chinese Wall"
> How're they gonna develop anything?

Just like the rest of us. If they can't do that, then tough. But let
them *compete.*

This is the crux of the issue --- the Chinese wall means that Microsoft
gains no benefit in its apps business that is not available to *every*
Windows developer. This is critical; in order for 3rd-party developers
to be able to *have* a business they must be able to compete on a level
paying field with Microsoft's applications business. The *whole issue*
for me revolves around this. Microsoft shouldn't be able to give itself
an unfair headstart / advantage by availability of new APIs before
3rd-party developers, they shouldn't be able to gain unfair distribution
leverage through tying apps to operating systems, and MOST ESPECIALLY
they should be laughed at and then firmly spanked for this recent
sophomoric dodge that says the browser is a part of the operating
system. GMAFB. Somebody ought to go hand BillyBoy any undergrad OS
text and make him write the definition of "operating system" on the
board 1 time for every dollar in his bank account.

jb