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- From: Wendell Piez <wapiez@mulberrytech.com>
- To: xml-dev@xml.org
- Date: Sun, 07 May 2000 23:10:59 +0100
Having earlier today sent off an offended e-mail about a Washington Post
report on remarks made by Steve Ballmer, I'm very sensitive to Dave Winer's
comments in this thread (see below). What he says is worth paying attention
to.
On the other hand, I do not think it's wrong to hold such a uniquely
powerful company to high standards, and to scrutinize them very closely,
since their policies and decisions have such inordinate effects even over
those of us who have not willingly opted into a relationship with them.
MS claims they invented XML. They won't claim they invented ILOVEYOU. Which
are they more responsible for?
But responsibility isn't something you *have*, it's something you *take*. I
wish MS seemed more willing to take responsibility for more than their
continued growth and the assurance of future profits. Dave is right, it
will take a great deal of work before the air is clearer. For MS to act
against Office macro viruses might be a start (oddly, the press reports on
them as if they were just the cost of doing business on the net). Their
being more forthright about the actual origins of their "innovations" (XML
now, apparently, being numbered among these) would be another welcome
development.
According to the Washington Post this morning, Ballmer wants to change
Microsoft's culture. Maybe he should start by getting his executives to
take anonymous 6-month internships in other companies, to see what life is
like for the rest of us. Sort of like the prince going in disguise to see
what the people really have to deal with....
Respectfully,
Wendell Piez
At 07:54 AM 5/6/00 -0700, Dave Winer wrote:
...
>Microsoft has a history of being harshly judged, and they've developed a
>complementary culture, all they seem to hear is the judgment. I understand
>what this is like....
>
>I think now is a great time for Microsoft to take a true leadership
>position, but it's going to take some coaxing and seduction to make them
>comfortable with this idea....
> But they're
>so defensive, statements like [the one quoted] are likely to trigger a
response that you
>may not want.
...
>Let's give them a chance to do the right thing.
>
>Dave
======================================================================
Wendell Piez mailto:wapiez@mulberrytech.com
Mulberry Technologies, Inc. http://www.mulberrytech.com
17 West Jefferson Street Direct Phone: 301/315-9635
Suite 207 Phone: 301/315-9631
Rockville, MD 20850 Fax: 301/315-8285
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mulberry Technologies: A Consultancy Specializing in SGML and XML
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