04.26.09
Microsoft, Google Sued; Microsoft Funds Legal Action Against Google
Summary: Microsoft’s “if you can’t beat them, sue them” [or daemonise them] approach
Here’s a funny one:
A Utah man is suing Microsoft, Google and Bill Gates for $30,000,000 alleging that his email accounts were blocked by the companies.
Speaking of lawsuits, guess who is still working on having Google sued? Yes, it’s Microsoft. There are some recent examples of hostility that are very blatant (maybe this one too). Wired Magazine wrote about Microsoft's role in the book settlement and now we find this:
One such objection is coming from a group based at NYU law school, an effort partly funded by Microsoft. There have accordingly been some questions about the “independence” of this initiative.
Microsoft’s Google envy is spinning out of control and it now relies on a feeble Yahoo! to join the attack on Google.
U.S. software company Microsoft (MSFT.O) still sees value in a potential partnership with Yahoo (YHOO.O) even though it is no longer wants to buy it, chief executive Steve Ballmer said on Friday.
They are still talking, but is Yahoo making a mistake? █
“Google’s not a real company. It’s a house of cards.”
–Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO
David Gerard said,
April 26, 2009 at 5:49 am
“Microsoft’s not a real company, it’s a card game with stone tablets.”
Roy Schestowitz Reply:
April 26th, 2009 at 6:18 am
Bear in mind that Microsoft’s market cap is only about 30% higher than Google’s.
twitter said,
April 26, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Lawsuits against Microsoft for email blockage have more merit than you might first assume. Email has become less than reliable thanks to M$ incompetence and malice. Real opportunities and money are lost because of this and M$ should be made to pay.
Most of the blame can be thrown on M$ generated spam. It has been shown numerous times that Windows is responsible for most of the world’s spam. Technical measures taken to thwart botnets have not included fixing the root cause, the utter lack of security on Windows or booting infected machines off networks. Instead ISPs have been forced to take steps favorable to M$, such as port blocks, that have made the problem worse.
M$ has also demonstrated considerable malice. Truthout’s, news letter was blocked for political reasons. Given the company’s wide ranging smear campaigns and other anti-competitive behavior, we should not be surprised to find “technical” glitches at various ISPs that blocked email to specific individuals on M$’s shit list. I know of people this has happened to.
A terrific class action suit is waiting to happen over these things. As Richard Stallman said about 9/11, “What I am worried about is massive surveillance of all aspects of life: of our phone calls, of our email, and of our physical movements.”. We now know that equipment to do just that was deployed. It’s purpose is to harass political opposition and eliminate economic competition. A real dollar amount can be assigned to this oppression and those responsible should pay. If we do not punish those who profited from tyranny, we will never gain back our privacy and freedom.
Roy Schestowitz Reply:
April 26th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
It’s problematic when E-mail gets lost due to SPAM (Windows zombie spew) or otherwise. I’ve once lost an E-mail and later recovered it when Google pursed me for a job. Who knows how many E-mails don’t make their way without me noticing/finding out?
twitter Reply:
April 26th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Exactly, fraud and malice thrive in an environment that is unreliable to begin with and poorly monitored. When you look at the domains controlled by M$ in the Truthout case and consider the power of M$’s position within ISPs, you have to conclude that no email is safe from their monitoring and interference. Consolidation of telcom and ISPs as well as concentration of email to a few service providers are also key ingredients to this kind of fraud and malice. Free software and free networks are the cure. In the mean time, investigation is warrented.
Roy Schestowitz said,
April 26, 2009 at 3:58 pm
@twitter: here is a video that I found two days ago.
Direct link