Comments

• twitter

  2010-12-02 20:00:01

  Here are the links which document Microsoft and Foundem's cooperative attack on Google. The background story is Microsoft's nearly decade old slog against Google. Sadly, this attack seems to have gained traction, with even RMS pointing to a story about it.
  
  2/25 Many in the mainstream press notice the connection between Microsoft and Foundem, M$ funding of trade group ICOMP. Hypocrisy noted. 4/6 More disclosures, ICOMP wrote parts of the EU complaint. Hypocrisy noticed. 9/6 Microsoft connection to Foundem, SourceTools, myTriggers and TradeComet as they make trouble for Google in Texas. "Consumer Watchdog" shown as Microsoft astroturfer. Groklaw exposes the details of the Texas case. 9/13 more about the involvement of astroturfers LawMedia Group and Consumer Watchdog 9/16 another source notices the Foundem connection to Microsoft and details the Texas harassment.
  
  We now know the sad result of Microsoft's FUD against the Google/Yahoo deal. Yahoo was consumed and is now essentially a subsidiary of Microsoft but it did Microsoft little good. Customers walked out of Yahoo and Bing's small gain in search market share quickly evaporated. Hopefully, the US DOJ and other regulators will have notice the result of their mistake and take some corrective action. It's apparent that Microsoft is so user hostile that they can't win despite their desktop monopoly advantage and all of their cheating. Allowing Microsoft to do this only destroys useful business and prolongs Microsoft's inevitable collapse.

• Dr. Roy Schestowitz

  2010-12-02 20:13:30

  The sad thing is that they now use the same tactics against IBM (in Europe too) because GNU/Linux is central in so-called 'cloud' computing. Regulators are being bamboozled by mobbyists and paid "satellite proxies" as IBM called them. IBM and Google should work together to expose these AstroTurf actions and have Microsoft fined in a major way for it.

• twitter

  2010-12-02 23:51:42

  In an unrelated case, GreenPeace is fighting entryism with trade secret law. Chemical companies hired PR firms to do infiltrate and disrupt efforts to oppose GM food and other nasty business.
  
  

  "These unlawful activities included trespassing on the property of Greenpeace, infiltrating its offices, meetings and electronic communications under false pretenses and/or by force, and by these means, stealing confidential documents, data and trade secrets from Greenpeace."

  
  
  Let's hope that kind of abusive behavior is targeted by law enforcement too. Microsoft regularly infiltrates competitors, trade shows and online discussion groups with the same goals. It's a waste of money only an abusive monopoly can afford and society should put a stop to it.