Date: Sun, 07 Apr 2002 14:29:35 -0400
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>,
	"'WSFA members'" <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
From: Samuel Lubell <lubell at cais.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: equal pay
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

At 12:22 PM 4/4/02 -0500, Strong, Lee wrote:
>Lee,
>	<Seriousness alert>  What is so bad about Bill Gates and/or
>Microsoft?  I've heard a lot of hostile comments but I've never heard any
>real evidence of wrongdoing.  Please provide specifics.  Thank you,
>
>Lee Who's Opposed to Witchhunts

Basically, the problems with Microsoft (aside from the bugs in their
products, the frequent crashing, the need to reboot, Microsoft's shoddy
response to viruses, their instance on muddling the operating system
interface with each new version, and their new form of registering their
software which requires users who update their computer to convince
Microsoft that this is okay) is their use of their monopoly.  For instance,
at one point Netscape had a 90% share of the Internet browser market.
Microsoft then included Internet Explorer in Windows (and claimed in the
trial that it couldn't be separated from it) eventually, Netscape's share
dropped to a tiny amount of the market.

Similarly, it used the fact that computer manufacturers had to sell
Microsoft Windows with their computers for them to be of much use to
customers as a way to force them to include Microsoft Office as well (by
saying that if the manufacturer included Office, they would sell Windows to
the manufacturer at a substantially reduced price)