From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S261238AbTEAMAf (ORCPT ); Thu, 1 May 2003 08:00:35 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S261239AbTEAMAf (ORCPT ); Thu, 1 May 2003 08:00:35 -0400 Received: from relay04.valueweb.net ([216.219.253.238]:6064 "EHLO relay04.valueweb.net") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S261238AbTEAMAc (ORCPT ); Thu, 1 May 2003 08:00:32 -0400 Message-ID: <3EB10F21.5070509@coyotegulch.com> Date: Thu, 01 May 2003 08:12:17 -0400 From: Scott Robert Ladd User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:1.3) Gecko/20030327 Debian/1.3-4 X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Larry McVoy , Linux Kernel Mailing List Subject: Beating the Monopoly [was: Why DRM exists] References: <20030430135919.GB32300@work.bitmover.com> <20030430172107.GA25347@work.bitmover.com> In-Reply-To: <20030430172107.GA25347@work.bitmover.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Larry McVoy wrote: > That line of reasoning, by the way, only works if they are a monopoly, > i.e., it doesn't work real well for BK, there are lots of other source > management systems. But it works very well for things like Word, > that's a de facto standard, contrary to what some people here believe > it is bloody difficult to negotiate a contract in anything but Word. > Try sending a lawyer anything else and you'll see what I mean. Monopolies *can* be beaten. The original dominator was Wordstar; when CP/M machines were replaced by DOS-based PCs, Wordstar failed to keep up with the trends, and was replaced by an easier-to-use and more capable product, Word Perfect. Ever try sending a legal document in anythign but Word Perfect in the late 1980s, and you'll know what I mean. One upon a time, Word Perfect ruled, and Word was a new and minor player in the word processing market. Businesses and organizations standardized on Word Perfect; it was impossible to work unless you could read/write Word Perfect. The incompetence of Novell and Corel combined with Word's "better" integration with other MS products to end Word Perfect's dominance. Historically, monopolies lose to superior competitors; it's survival of the fittest. Sometimes, "fittest" == least expensive -- but in most cases, better features, ease of use, and progressive thinking beat out monopolies that rest on their laurels. Microsoft has not done anything revolutionary (or even evolutionary) with Word (or Windows, for that matter) in many, many years. I loved the original DOS-based Word, and versions of Word through about 6.0 -- then the bloat began, with Microsoft tacking on useless features, like an animal species evolving exaggerated characteristics when all other evolution has stopped. Linus has the right attitude: Make Linux the best kernel possible, and people will use it. The key is to meet people's needs, to be more effective in a given niche than the competition. But that won't happen if free software concentrates on cloning over bold evolution. Give Word users special "help", like Word gave Word Perfect users; make a strealined word processor that integrates modern design. Dare to be better. > That's what I meant by chasing. If you are chasing the leader you are > automatically more at risk because you are trying to play in the leader's > playing field and they can change the rules to screw you up. You build > a better playing field and you turn the tables, now the leader is the > follower and they have to play by your rules. Precisely. -- Scott Robert Ladd Coyote Gulch Productions (http://www.coyotegulch.com) Professional programming for science and engineering; Interesting and unusual bits of very free code.