The Chronicle of Higher Education: Colloquy

COLLOQUY

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What is different about Microsoft's involvement than that of Apple, IBM, Sun and other vendors? The depth and breadth of their intent, which is to eliminate competition.

By encouraging university talent to develop extensions to its own software standard, Microsoft distracts them from working on UNIX, browsers, and other software they would view as potentially competitive. There's nothing illegal about giving away software or paying professors for advice. Some might call it smart marketing, and to an extent I agree. In light of Microsoft's monopoly power and long history of other controlling and questionable practices, however, this should be viewed as predatory and a threat to innovation, our economy, and our society. It must be stopped.

Because IBM was once accused of acting as a monopoly, my comments may have more impact if the IBM name was not used.

-- Wayne Caswell, Digital Consumer Mkt.Devel., IBM Microelectronics (posted 4/21, 5:25 p.m., E.D.T.)
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