"The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you're inside, you look around. What do you see. Business men, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. The very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still a part of that system, and that makes them our enemy. You have to understand, most of these people are not ready to be unplugged. And many of them are so inert, so hopelessly dependent on the system that they will fight to protect it." Morpheus, The Matrix
You are probably 1 of the 90% (albeit getting less day by day) of computer users-- using Windows without giving much thought to it. You might think it is ok, I will pay whoever that gives me the best product, but are you really getting the best? And do you really have a choice? And what if the control and circle of influence by MS products expand to cover other areas of your life? Such as, music you listen, internet content you access, and movies you watch... and so on.
The success of MS is a legend, the combination of perfect marketing with strong arm tactics have created a giant that it is today. If you have started using computers about 15-20 years ago, you will probably remember Worperfect & Lotus 123. How did they vanish from the computer scene? Netscape, the company that popularized the Internet browser, where is it now? The list goes on and on... You did have a choice many years back, but MS inherent "advantage" or should I use their own words, "leverage on the monopoly", due to their control/ bundle of the operating systems have forced many out of the business. This practice dated as far back as the good old DOS days.
The launch of "Silverlight" makes me really wonder what is their real motive, why do they spend so much time & money to create an almost identical product as Flashplayer? A tighter grip over internet perhaps? It is not open source and who can guarantee that it will run on Linux and Macs when Flashplayer is dead? Too late by then? You can read more about Silverlight here and here.
When all competitions is gone, MS will have total grip, whether we like it or not, whether their intention is benign or malign, we are controlled. Chained. Continue to pay and upgrade through our noses even though we do not need it. You can pick many examples easily, and here is just one:
If you want to play the latest DirectX 10 games, you gotta upgrade to Vista since MS is not releasing DirectX 10 for Windows XP; compare to many years back when DirectX was new, you got all updated versions free! (even bundled with the games you purchased no matter which version of Windows you are using) Now MS has gotten all game developers into DriectX instead of the standard OpenGL, consumers are at a losing end! Some have also cited the MS Office incompatibility between versions as a ploy to force upgrade.
Do you really believe that MS is being forced by the media industry to include Digital Rights Mangement (DRM) in Vista? In time to come, who will control the media when MS DRM becomes widespread acceptance? You just need to look at the struggle between Apple and the music industry to see who will be the future "owner" of HD video content over internet. You can read Peter Gutmann's article if you have not done so.
We still have a choice today no matter how high the obstacles may seem to be, but will we even have one in the future? Most importantly, ask yourself: Do you want to be free?
You are probably 1 of the 90% (albeit getting less day by day) of computer users-- using Windows without giving much thought to it. You might think it is ok, I will pay whoever that gives me the best product, but are you really getting the best? And do you really have a choice? And what if the control and circle of influence by MS products expand to cover other areas of your life? Such as, music you listen, internet content you access, and movies you watch... and so on.
The success of MS is a legend, the combination of perfect marketing with strong arm tactics have created a giant that it is today. If you have started using computers about 15-20 years ago, you will probably remember Worperfect & Lotus 123. How did they vanish from the computer scene? Netscape, the company that popularized the Internet browser, where is it now? The list goes on and on... You did have a choice many years back, but MS inherent "advantage" or should I use their own words, "leverage on the monopoly", due to their control/ bundle of the operating systems have forced many out of the business. This practice dated as far back as the good old DOS days.
The launch of "Silverlight" makes me really wonder what is their real motive, why do they spend so much time & money to create an almost identical product as Flashplayer? A tighter grip over internet perhaps? It is not open source and who can guarantee that it will run on Linux and Macs when Flashplayer is dead? Too late by then? You can read more about Silverlight here and here.
When all competitions is gone, MS will have total grip, whether we like it or not, whether their intention is benign or malign, we are controlled. Chained. Continue to pay and upgrade through our noses even though we do not need it. You can pick many examples easily, and here is just one:
If you want to play the latest DirectX 10 games, you gotta upgrade to Vista since MS is not releasing DirectX 10 for Windows XP; compare to many years back when DirectX was new, you got all updated versions free! (even bundled with the games you purchased no matter which version of Windows you are using) Now MS has gotten all game developers into DriectX instead of the standard OpenGL, consumers are at a losing end! Some have also cited the MS Office incompatibility between versions as a ploy to force upgrade.
Do you really believe that MS is being forced by the media industry to include Digital Rights Mangement (DRM) in Vista? In time to come, who will control the media when MS DRM becomes widespread acceptance? You just need to look at the struggle between Apple and the music industry to see who will be the future "owner" of HD video content over internet. You can read Peter Gutmann's article if you have not done so.
We still have a choice today no matter how high the obstacles may seem to be, but will we even have one in the future? Most importantly, ask yourself: Do you want to be free?
2 comments:
The Why Not Linux story could take 1200 pages!
LOL, I love you!
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