BASIC Predates Microsoft by Over a Decade, Microsoft-Controlled Sites Like The Register MS Don't Want You to Know This
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, September 04, 2025

Microsoft Started With Code Literally From The Trash, Nothing Has Improved Since

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Sep 05, 2025

1970s: "We were moving ahead very rapidly: BASIC, FORTRAN, LISP, PDP-10 machine language, digging out the operating system listings from the trash and studying those." -Bill Epsteingate

2025:

Microsoft wants us to think all computers and computer programs are bad. The solution is thus to buy a new PC and always "upgrade" (i.e. pay again for a new version of the same thing).

The reality is, there are systems and code that are reliable. But they're not Microsoft's. █

"The supposed need for growth creates "solutionism"; the gratuitous creation of unnecessary products to fix problems caused by other non-functional products. This creates a seemingly limitless market in accordance with a Broken Window Fallacy, where causing problems and harm seems to be a generator of "wealth". -Dr. Andy Farnell a few days ago

Dr. Farnell's breakdown:

Aim of Practice Example Effect/Harm

Offloading risk Gig economy apps Low wage poverty

Confusion, disorientation Complex reward schemes Causes victim to make mistakes

Social division "Loyalty cards" and schemes Divide and conquer

Advertising, propaganda Habit nudging Slow manipulation

Opaqueness (hide the magic) Closed source, TPM, DRM Backdoors, hiding problems

Extraction of data Tracking habits/ preference Easy targeting

Novelty and amusement Gamification of life Hypnosis, docile acquiescence

Ideological design fixations Thinness, aesthetics Poor maintainability

Invisibility Covert (ambient) computing Privacy problems

Low friction (convenience) Predefined "choices" Cognitive decline

Brand tie-ins etc Linking "partner" products Antitrust, Non-interoperation

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