Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2005 16:03:54 -0500
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Different subject now,you have been warned! [was:Re:[WSFA] Re: Has anyone read any goo
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

> omni at omniphile.com 3/28/2005 2:55:40 PM >>>
>At 02:06 PM 3/28/05 -0500, Michael Walsh wrote:
>
>>Did Microsoft go for top posting out of ignorance or "to force their
>>way of doing things on an established culture".  And if on pupose,
why?
>
>It may originally have been ignorance...they aren't big on seeing
what's
>already in existence before they implement something.  They've proven
that
>many times.  Once the product was out there and feedback started
coming in
>about it, they could no longer claim ignorance, and at that point it
pretty
>clearly became "forcing their way".
>
>Why would they want to force things to be done their way?  Because in
a
>world of standards you can get products from anyone and they will
work
>together well.  If you do things differently, then people have to use
your
>stuff...if you are big enough to force that (and MicroSoft often is).
I've
>heard numerous times from business people who hate M$'s software
(security
>flaws, unstable systems, unfriendly user interfaces that you have to
fight
>to get things done, etc.) but use it anyway because that's what their
>customers are using, and they have to use it to be compatible with
their
>customers.  This isn't always true, but that's what they believe and
since
>their livelihood is riding on it, they do what they feel they must,
like it
>or not.

"But mom, *everyone* at school is getting 666 tattoed on their
forehead."

And mom says what...?  Something about jumping off cliffs perhaps?

mjw