[svlug] brain fart: proposal to the DOJ

[Bevan Schroeder]

This is going to be relatively brief, as I'm more in the mood to throw out
an idea than write an essay right now.  This is entirely about Microsoft,
so if that is too far offtopic for you, well, stop reading, and accept my 
apologies.

The DOJ, as we know, is trying to figure out what to do with its victory
over Microsoft.  When I heard they were abandoning a split of the company,
I was surprised, because I had liked that approach.  Defining what is
really the OS shouldn't be that difficult, and, as long as they require
microsoft.OS to communicate with microsoft.* on public channels like
normal companies, MS would be unable to continue monopolistic practices
like undocumented protocols and features used only by its own apps.  Plus,
they wouldn't benefit by such features even if they did include them.

But the DOJ threw out that idea, so I propose an alternative:  force
Microsoft to open ALL its protocols.  Every transaction to/from disk or
network would contain 100% known and typed information.  This would have
to be enforced several years into the future, to keep Microsoft from
pulling the ol' switcheroo.

PROS:
Competition and improvements will abound.
OSS developers will finish Wine overnight.  Their husbands, wives, and
  children will be overjoyed.
CONS:
Microsoft will not be a smouldering heap of wood and plaster.  ;)


-bevan (no, I'm not a CON.  At least, not in this context...)


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