Microsoft Hatred FAQ

[Tim Hammerquist]

Jeroen Wenting <jwenting> wrote:
> Microsoft isn't evil, they're not a monopoly either.
> If they were a monopoly they'd have 100% of the market and
> there'd be no other software manufacturers at all.

Interesting.  Standard Oil only had about 2/3 of the oil
refining market when they were split up.  And Microsoft has
a fair bit more of the home computer market than that.

The fact is, while Microsoft is not the only firm in the market,
and are not a "pure monopoly", they are a de facto monopoly, and
have been found on multiple occasions to violate many of the
same practices which Standard Oil performed and caused to become
illegal.

Microsoft is a monopoly, as defined by US Antitrust Law.  And as
they've been found similarly guilty by other governing bodies,
it doesn't seem to be a purely American deduction.

I won't deny that Microsoft has done possibly more than any
other single entity to further the mass adoption of public
computer use.  I also won't deny that they used a combination of
good products and good business tactics to get to the top of the
industry.  I also can't in good conscience call them "evil".

I will, however, say that they have engaged in immoral[*],
unethical, and illegal practices to artificially maintain and
augment their position in the industry and has not yet provided
products/services to back it up.

[*] Yeah, I know. What place do morals have in the business
    world.  I'm an idealist. Sue me.

Cheers,
Tim Hammerquist