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Microsoft fined $32 million
- Thread starter rpm
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Corporate personality
It makes no difference at all to fine a megabillion corporation like Microsoft a paltry $32 million.
Corporations have a culture and personality of their own. It's interesting to note that they have ALL the characteristics of a psychopath. Lying, stealing, cheating, and so forth are normal for corporations, regardless of the personal values of the people running them.
A couple of months back, for instance, Monsanto pleaded guilty and paid a fine for being caught paying a bribe to officials in Indonesia. In that particular case, the case was so strong that it looked inevitable that criminal charges would succeed for the first time ever. So, they paid a $1 million fine and were given in effect a suspended sentence.
It doesn't help to fine big corporates. They just write it off and carry on as before. It doesn't make a big enough dent for investors to even notice.
As I've written elsewhere, it's time to make the executive directors personally responsible again. Before companies were granted the status of juristic persons, there was no such thing as limited liability. Over the years, corporates, having the means to do so, have lobbied for legislation to protect them against law suits and liability when they damage the environment, kill people, and generally rip off the public.
It makes no difference at all to fine a megabillion corporation like Microsoft a paltry $32 million.
Corporations have a culture and personality of their own. It's interesting to note that they have ALL the characteristics of a psychopath. Lying, stealing, cheating, and so forth are normal for corporations, regardless of the personal values of the people running them.
A couple of months back, for instance, Monsanto pleaded guilty and paid a fine for being caught paying a bribe to officials in Indonesia. In that particular case, the case was so strong that it looked inevitable that criminal charges would succeed for the first time ever. So, they paid a $1 million fine and were given in effect a suspended sentence.
It doesn't help to fine big corporates. They just write it off and carry on as before. It doesn't make a big enough dent for investors to even notice.
As I've written elsewhere, it's time to make the executive directors personally responsible again. Before companies were granted the status of juristic persons, there was no such thing as limited liability. Over the years, corporates, having the means to do so, have lobbied for legislation to protect them against law suits and liability when they damage the environment, kill people, and generally rip off the public.
mancombseepgood
Executive Member
Interesting point, vbtechie
funny how everything negative I read seems to make me think of telkom.. a bit OT no doubt....
reminds me of having to pay for a telkom fixed analogue line when I order ADSL and then having to pay 2 rentals for the same wire... I don't want the analogue... (not to mention not wanting to pay so much for ADSL).
OOps... sorry for the diversion
I guess we can't sue Telkom for anti competitiveness since there is no competition, and I guess it's not all their fault (although, government shares says it is in my books).
funny how everything negative I read seems to make me think of telkom.. a bit OT no doubt....
reminds me of having to pay for a telkom fixed analogue line when I order ADSL and then having to pay 2 rentals for the same wire... I don't want the analogue... (not to mention not wanting to pay so much for ADSL).
OOps... sorry for the diversion
I guess we can't sue Telkom for anti competitiveness since there is no competition, and I guess it's not all their fault (although, government shares says it is in my books).
Dovi
Expert Member
I think it's the stupidest thing that Microsoft can't include their Media Player. What else are users supposed to use then? I'm sure at least 30% of computer users would have no idea how to download another media player and install it! Regarding Windows Messenger, I think Microsoft has every right to include it. If the other IM companies object, they can go invent their own OS's!!
My 2cents
My 2cents
Anti-trust laws are there for a purpose, generally speaking to prevent a company with a monopoly in one market from unfairly abusing that position in order to 'leverage' dominance in another market. Monopolies can do this typically because they have 'unusual power' over their markets that a non-monopoly wouldn't have, and that's why they have to be regulated. You may not realise it but product-tying does harm "you the consumer", and anti-product-tying laws really do help us. I say anything that helps promote more competition is good. Anyway, if MS want to be the dominant media player let them do it by making the *best* media player so people actually *choose* it, not just some crappy "sorta nearly good enough" one that people use because "it came with my computer". Don't worry Dovi, if Microsoft made the best media player then people would pick it regardless of whether or not it came with the OS ... in fact the only reason Microsoft might possibly have to worry is if they (gee *cough* *cough*) knew that their media player sucked compared to the others.
mancombseepgood
Executive Member
Well...
Thats nice for you because you are a consumer and not trying to make a living in software development. Think about it. You develop a killer app (like Netscape?) and MS decide that since it is so pop, they should just enhance their OS with a look alike to become more pop. And then integrate it with the OS, so that even if you wanted to use the alternative, you can't get rid of their one (Try using OE6 without messenger... also, having supported PCs in the past, I often see machines with MSN messenger running on startup - not because it is being used, but because it is the default. To turn it off is often too tech for users.). Also, try uninstalling IE from the o/s - it is embedded. I am aware of at least one good IE removal tool for Win 98 and have tested it - the OS runs SOOO much faster without it - then you install Firefox, but the process can break Windows.
Another downside is (for example Frontpage, etc) where people use these tools to develop pages and the tools have features that display fine in IE but not other browsers.
It's a moral issue - having made so much money from consumers, MS should start thinking about how they can stop doing the little guy in to suit their pockets.
Dovi said:I think it's the stupidest thing that Microsoft can't include their Media Player. What else are users supposed to use then? I'm sure at least 30% of computer users would have no idea how to download another media player and install it! Regarding Windows Messenger, I think Microsoft has every right to include it. If the other IM companies object, they can go invent their own OS's!!
My 2cents
Thats nice for you because you are a consumer and not trying to make a living in software development. Think about it. You develop a killer app (like Netscape?) and MS decide that since it is so pop, they should just enhance their OS with a look alike to become more pop. And then integrate it with the OS, so that even if you wanted to use the alternative, you can't get rid of their one (Try using OE6 without messenger... also, having supported PCs in the past, I often see machines with MSN messenger running on startup - not because it is being used, but because it is the default. To turn it off is often too tech for users.). Also, try uninstalling IE from the o/s - it is embedded. I am aware of at least one good IE removal tool for Win 98 and have tested it - the OS runs SOOO much faster without it - then you install Firefox, but the process can break Windows.
Another downside is (for example Frontpage, etc) where people use these tools to develop pages and the tools have features that display fine in IE but not other browsers.
It's a moral issue - having made so much money from consumers, MS should start thinking about how they can stop doing the little guy in to suit their pockets.
mancombseepgood
Executive Member
Turtle said:
What really sucks about media player like alot of MS apps and even the os is the background whispering on the net. Anyone know what goes back and forth in the background on an average Windows setup? I know a few people who installed a firewall, then proceeded to block all apps that popped up and broke the os - lol!