Talk to the Man Who Wants to Oversee Microsoft 314
Imagine "campaigning" for a job that doesn't exist, may never exist, and is sure to be full of heartburn for anyone who takes it on. Stephen Satchell is a self-declared candidate for the three-person committee the Feds might appoint to ensure Microsoft's future good behavior. Satch is certainly qualified; he's been online nearly forever, he's worked with computer operating systems darn near as long as computers have had operating systems, and he's certainly not afraid to speak his mind. But even the best-qualified job candidates need to be interviewed before they are chosen, and Satch has consented to have Slashdot readers conduct the initial interview in this hiring process. One question per interviewer, please. We'll email him 10 of the highest-moderated questions, and post his answers next week.
What makes you the best man for the job? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:What makes you the best man for the job? (Score:2, Funny)
to get that pie in his face?
Re:What makes you the best man for the job? (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft will set a team of lawyers to find every exploitable loophole in the court order which lets you oversee them. They will balk you, they will delay you, they will drag their heels at every possible opportunity; they will give you the bare minimum of help that they're required to give you; and in every situation where you even hint at any possible less-than-upright dealings on their part, they will cry from the mountaintops about how biased you are against them.
Their ultimate goal will be to get you to grumble about them -- and then they can go back to the government and use that as evidence that you're in fact not impartial, and you'll be out of their hair. It worked against a federal judge; it could work against you.
Why do you believe you're up to the task of sitting on the shoulder of this eight-hundred-pound gorilla while it flings monkey dung at you? Why should we believe that you'll be able to work with them, unwilling as they are, and be able to point out their illegal business practices without appearing to be biased against them?
Please describe your Economic views... (Score:4, Interesting)
Please describe your views on economics to the greatest extent possible, and the influences that helped you to form these views.
I would particularly like to know what you think regarding monopolies, artificially created and sustained, or naturally occurring, and how you believe consumers (and the marketplace) are affected by them, and under what circumstances consumers may benefit, or be harmed, by them.
Do you feel it is possible to have a unified MS? (Score:5, Interesting)
Impossible Job (Score:2)
I read the W3C submission by Stephen Satchell and like what he says. But that is beside the point. All he or anyone else in that capacity can be expected to do is hinder the business actions of the company they oversee. I think the UK tried that and failed in the 60s/70s.
Microsoft may railroad competition, but it is not a railroad. You can choose a different track if you like.
Re:Impossible Job (Score:2)
No. Once a company gets to be anti-competitive, they are no longer serving the public good (which is in theory why we the people allow companies to exist to begin with). No one is talking about being capitalistic or socialistic. The Microsoft case (and other antitrust cases) is about a company going beyond the point where its existance is a benefit to the people.
Who at Microsoft do you plant to deal with? (Score:5, Interesting)
Do you plan to stand over Gates and Balmer cracking the anti-trust whip, or do you intend to deal more with the executive board as a whole, saying 'You can't do that' to certain policy decisions.
C# and Java (Score:2, Insightful)
My Question is... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:My Question is... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:My Question is... (Score:2)
The whole idea of unbundling stinks IMHO. Where do you draw the line? At various times in the lifecycle of Windows you've been able to buy web browsers, drive compression+defragment utilities, replacement GUIs and even replacement virtual memory systems. Should we force MS to unbundle everything but the kernel?
Eric
Q: Where do you see Microsoft in 5 years? (Score:5, Interesting)
Q: Where do you see Microsoft in 5 years?
Q: What will you change about Microsoft if you were CEO?
Corruption? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Corruption? (Score:2)
Re:Corruption? (Score:5, Insightful)
Do you think board members should make themselves avalible for financial audits?
If so...
How deep into the board members lives can the audits go and how long after their stay on the board should their financial records be reviewed?
Re:Corruption? (Score:4, Insightful)
Instead bribes can take a more subtle note, like giving him a great parking spot right next to Bill's, taking him out to lunch everyday on the company's dollar, and flying him and his family places using the company jet.
These types of perks may not even be considered a bribe by the recipient, but it's hard to do anything to jeopardize these perks once you're used to them.
I assume there are some regulations which would go along with the position which forbid these types of gifts, but I'm no expert
Doug
Doug
Re:Corruption? (Score:2)
Linux/OS X/Be (Score:5, Interesting)
What operating system do you use (be honest)?
If you are using Windows, what can other OS's do to make you switch?
If you aren't using Windows, what made you switch?
Has anyone really just asked "One Question Per Post"? I guess these are all related and can be answered all together... sorry.
Do you think.... (Score:5, Interesting)
For example: Isnt it a monopolistic practice to make the Kerberos Login protocol closed so only Windows workstations can connect to Windows servers??/ Isnt that illegal leveraging into the computing server market?
Anotherone (although maybe immmaginary): Microsoft Passport will be a server side and client side technology. It will implement the server side only in Microsoft web servers and it will probably be imposible (by licencing lock-out) to implement them in a UNIX server. Isnt that illegal monopolistic leveraging into the web server market?
Alex
Asking slashdot? (Score:5, Insightful)
Are you concerned that tying yourself to Slashdot, a known haven for us *nix freaks that are generally hostile towards Microsoft's actions, will harm your chances of obtaining this position, as it would require that those appointing the position perceive you as "objective" ?
Comment removed (Score:4, Informative)
Self-declared? (Score:5, Funny)
My understanding is that the proposed committee has one chosen by MS, one by the government, and those two pick the third.
So what's the process to go from "self-declared" to serious contender for one of the slots?
Re:Self-declared? (Score:5, Funny)
What is the first thing you would do when leading Microsoft, besides opening up the source code, and producing a stable code base?
Restrict What? (Score:5, Insightful)
Why? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Why? (Score:2, Insightful)
Simple. Anyone taking this job would have Bill Gates by the short-hairs.
Re:Why? (Score:2)
New Markets (Score:4, Redundant)
What steps would you take to ensure that they do not become a monopoly in more than one industry?
***
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
What are you going to do if you don't get the job? (Score:2, Interesting)
Operating system standards (Score:5, Interesting)
What would your plans for Microsoft be in this regard? Obviously, having MS open up the Windows source is not a realistic goal, but do you feel that there is any way to establish a set of non-proprietary operating system standards that would re-enable competition in the desktop market?
/* Steve */
Only three men? (Score:3, Insightful)
Market/Government (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Market/Government (Score:2)
>kept in check by the market and the government,
>and can't become monopolies. How do you
>believe Microsoft surpassed thse checks?
The Software Industry is like the Entertainment Industry. They produce non-tangible items on media that costs next to nothing, and distribute them at an enourmous markup. Any industry that prints money like this tends to be complained about for being corrupt, and those complaints are usually well founded.
My big question is: Rather than giving Microsoft and other big media companies the ability to rake in enormous profits through insane markups on their product, would it be possible to legislate away the sale of OSes for more than their distribution is worth, and instead focus on the support side of things?
While it wouldn't un-proprietary-ize their file formats, another big and important move, it might help to level the playing field a bit for other operating system companies, and companies who can give better customer support, for cheaper.
Re:Market/Government (Score:2)
My big question is: Rather than giving Microsoft and other big media companies the ability to rake in enormous profits through insane markups on their product, would it be possible to legislate away the sale of OSes for more than their distribution is worth, and instead focus on the support side of things?
Congratulations. You've just found a way to totally demotivate anyone from innovating in Operating System Design.
What Would You Do With Passive Committee Partners? (Score:5, Interesting)
How tough? (Score:5, Interesting)
Objectivity? (Score:3, Interesting)
There are certain people that would be bad to include. Microsoft zealots or people who are extremely favourable to big business are not good candidates, as they would most likely be willing to let some of MS' possible future transgressions slide.
At the same time, Open Source zealots or Microsoft haters are also poor candidates because they may go towards the other extreme: punishing MS for the slightest problems or trying to dramatically change the way MS operates.
What is needed is a nice symbiosis of the two viewpoints, someone who is well-versed in such matters and isn't afraid to play the Devil's Advocate, so to speak, but is also objective. How do you see yourself on this scale, and if you're more one the side of one extreme, how do you justify your pursuit of this position?
Free the End Users (Score:4, Insightful)
I have attempt to introduce other products into my business and have been unable to do so, primarily due to formating errors when viewing MS Office Documents.
How viable an option would it be to, rather than breaking up MS, force them to release just the specs on how their office documents are coded?
This would give users a choice and could allow for some competition.
Microsoft Tools (Score:2)
How to handle the prime conflicts of interest? (Score:4, Interesting)
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Compare MS to Previous Monopolies... (Score:3, Interesting)
-Adam
"His cook was goosed, as ordered sir."
Playing the devil's advocate... (Score:5, Interesting)
To break Microsoft's chokehold on the industry will send their stock into a tailspin, cause their R&D cycle to slow, and cause a chaotic move for power in various niches by everyone from giants such as IBM to various smaller companies that most people have never heard of. This will cause ripples (or shockwaves) in everything from the Dow Jones Industrial Average to unemployment figures to the number of dotcoms that show up and fail at trying to corner a niche to the price of new computers.
My question for you, then, is the following: If you do assume a role such that you oversee Microsoft's compliance with federal guidelines, how will you keep the ripple effects caused by your enforcement in check, and how will you justify the ripples that inevitably are created to the American people?
To boldly go insane.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft has managed to avoid scrutiny by companies, courts, governments and even users. Many allegations made in the trial, such as "knifing the baby" remarks alleged by Netscape, would simply not be visible, by simply looking at Official Policy Documents. In fact, probably very little actual policy DOES appear in their Official Policy Documents.
In short, you can't hunt ghosts with an electron microscope. You need knowledge of what the right job is, and then you need the tools to do it.
Do you even remotely imagine that this is even possible?
How will you cope with Bill's high CHR? (Score:4, Funny)
Would you require that some of his magic itenms (e.g. his "Polo Shirt of Thalkettoth, which grants a +5 saving throw against anti-trust litigation") be taken away from him?
Tom.
If I recall correctly... (Score:2, Interesting)
What is your feeling on that?
Personally I think that is an extreeme conflict of interests. In the same vein as choosing thier "punishment".
And, what is the most *glaring* issue about Microsoft that needs changing in your opinion?
Is this a transition, or a status quo? (Score:3, Insightful)
As I see it, the job of overseeing Microsoft can only succeed if it has a definite goal in mind that involves transforming the company and then relinquishing control. If Microsoft is still overseen by the government in 30 years, while its competitors are free to manage themselves, this will not have been a success.
What things have to take place at Microsoft before it will no longer be a special exception that the government has to personally regulate?
What disiplinary powers would you want? (Score:2, Interesting)
What sort of displinary powers do you think you should have?
If the committee... (Score:3, Interesting)
If this committee was already implemented 10 years ago and you were a part of it, what strategies and actions that Microsoft took during this period would you consider monopolistic? Would you change anything, and what alternatives would you suggest?
What about a government monopoly? (Score:2)
Do you fear, though, that the government might wrest too much control from the industry? The Fed doesn't exactly have a grand track record thusfar with regards to digital rights.
Job description: (Score:2)
-Adam
What would be done. (Score:2, Interesting)
Question (Score:2)
How do you plan on making punishments stick? (Score:5, Interesting)
How do you think the transition from watching what Microsoft is doing to implementing punishments for bad behavior might actually work?
The obvious question... (Score:5, Interesting)
By now, everybody is used to bundling a browser with the OS. But what about video-editing software? The (Sun) Java VM or the
Digital Rights (Score:4, Interesting)
What is the future of society? (Score:3, Interesting)
How DO you restrict Microsoft's Windows Dev? (Score:4, Interesting)
What's the point? (Score:2, Interesting)
Quality... (Score:2, Interesting)
- Buggy software could be irrefutably demonstrated. Customers demonstrating flaws could expect either a resolution within some reasonable time frame, or financial compensation for migration to a system without the flaw.
- The quality of third party components could be evaluated relative to the specification of interfaces they claim to support.
The obvious issue with this is "who could declare a specification to be rigorous?" Do you feel you have the correct background for this task, or do you see a better way to ensure MS (or any other software vendor for this matter) respects their obligations?Your non-technical qualifications (Score:5, Insightful)
Slashdot for first interview? (Score:2)
Proprietary industry standards (Score:5, Interesting)
Short of open source, what measures need to be taken to in order to insure that one monopoly (Microsoft or another) isn't dethroned simply to be replaced by a different monopoly?
What defines a security threat? (Score:3, Interesting)
Let's be specific: (Score:4, Interesting)
If you were on the oversight committee, what specific actions or restrictions would you place on Microsoft's behavior in this Marketplace?
As a followup question:
If Microsoft included a "hotsync" capability built into its OS (so that Windows CE handhelds automatically sync with the desktop machine), would you consider that acceptable behavior?
Q: When would the committee's work be done? (Score:2, Interesting)
In other words, what would cause you to feel you no longer need access to MS corporate books, source, or staff?
Possible examples: [A] another product gains market penetration equal to the MS Windows variants, [B] no complaints from industry competitors for 6 months, [C] MS "gives away" IExplorer and/or MS Office source via a GNU copyleft (makes it publicly-owned code).
Thank you.
--Adam
Thursday 13 December 2001
# # #
International perspective (Score:5, Interesting)
lets be realistic.... (Score:5, Interesting)
competent, fair & trustworthy
One major question remains in my mind....
Say you have a company like microsoft, who rightly or wrongly acts as if it has the political clout to do whatever it wants. You see them do things like break compatibility with competing products (lotus/borland), dump software info a thriving market to starve it's competitors (netscape/qualcomm), deny deserving employees fair and equitable benefits (MS "Temps"), and block competitive access to markets ( Be/Apple ).
Assuming you can come up with a sound remedy for these types of problems, how can you get them to actually stop abusing it's monopoly power when it's monopoly power is the battleaxe it uses to hack at apart it's competitors in various markets, yet you cannot take it from them?
One ring to rule them all (Score:2)
Sorry to roll in a second question, but what would be your aim for Microsoft? Would it be to kill it, Free it's ill-gotten gains/IP, make as much money as possible without incuring the wrath of another court, divest it of all extensions (MSNBC, Hotmail, XBox)?
"Confidentiality"? (Score:5, Informative)
Proposed changes? (Score:2, Insightful)
employment history (Score:2)
Has anybody thought of using IP laws themselves (Score:2)
Considering that it is the *government's* IP laws that help make Microsoft a monopoly in the first place, wouldn't it make sense to start "breaking" their monopoly their?
Short but sweet (Score:2)
(expected answer: NO)
If not, how will you stop Microsoft from doing so?
Teeth (Score:2)
Passport (Score:5, Insightful)
What kind of 'inside' power will you have? (Score:2, Funny)
Just what kind of privileged information do you expect to have access?
Settlement loopholes? (Score:2)
Would you be willing to give up some privacy? (Score:2, Interesting)
What can you do? (Score:5, Interesting)
Forcing MSFT to make Office for more OS's (Score:4, Insightful)
Is government regulation good? (Score:2, Insightful)
If and when Linux or some other open source system becomes commonplace and can be found on every desktop, should we make sure that the federal government is right there, carefully regulating everything it does?
Would you release Microsoft source code? How? (Score:5, Insightful)
My questions are:
Under what conditions would you support the release of Microsoft source code?
Which programs would you support the release of source code for? Windows XP? All currently shipping versions of Windows? Explorer? Office? Back Office? Or every single product Microsoft sells?
How would you ensure compliance for the release of Microsoft source code?
Would other programmers/companies/geeks etc. be able to use Microsoft source code for their own projects, or would they only be able to use it engineer backwards compatability with their own programs?
Would computer manufacturers be able to compile and load their own version of Windows NT/XP/Whatever on machines without paying Microsoft?
What sort of license would Microsoft source code be released under? GPL? BSD? GNU? Something else?
How will you combat the loopholes? (Score:2, Interesting)
contextual question (Score:5, Interesting)
Interoperability (Score:2, Insightful)
In the unix world, it was always assumed that there would be multiple flavors of unix, if only to accommodate multiple hardware architectures. From that grew the assumption that interoperability between systems was a worthy persuit.
The 'killer apps' of the internet (email and www) are marvels of interoperability, and the realities of a networked world are making interoperability more and more important.
It seems that Microsoft's approach to interoperability is for everybody to be running the same software. Only their huge market share makes this even remotely feasible.
So...
How important do you think software interoperability is?
Should it be a goal in application design as well as communications and infrastructure?
Can Microsoft be convinced to adopt these goals, and if not, can they be achieved?
Do you think the government should 'encourage' movement toward interoperability?
Typical Interview Question (Score:2, Interesting)
Who else? (Score:2)
Is there a better way to disqualify yourself? (Score:2, Interesting)
Microsoft's ability to frustrate two key federal judges, to the point where those judges essentially lost their judicial composure, has resulted in whatever escape from the jaws of jutice that Microsoft has achieved here. Those two judges who had years of service behind the bench essetially flipped out over disgust with this company. Then, in the aftermath of those guys blowing their tops, Microsoft successfully labeled them as biased and the substance of their rulings were essentially thrown out.
After dispensing with two federal judges, Microsoft will not find it difficult to ruin your career and reputation if you show even the slighest bias.
Have you no fear of your impending DOOM?
Do you use Microsof t products.. and .. (Score:4, Interesting)
1) b) If you have used other operating systems, (including palmOS) what do you think could be done to make the playing field more even?
2) Do you honestly think that Microsofts monopoly can be controlled?
Everyone has a price (Score:2, Interesting)
After all Microsoft has been described as having, "more money than god."
-- "We now know 1/100th of 1% of what nature has decided to show us."
- Einstein
Report (Score:3, Interesting)
How do you perceive Microsoft's past buisness? (Score:3, Interesting)
What would you do about a ms-drm os ? (Score:5, Interesting)
Why does Microsoft need to be regulated? (Score:3, Interesting)
I myself make a very decent living writing software which runs on non-Microsoft systems. These systems are developed for our clients, and the clients sell services based on these systems to consumers.
We as the developers were not forced to use Microsoft products, our clients were not forced to use Microsoft products, and their customers are not forced to use Microsoft products. Money changed hands many times and Microsoft's involvement in any of it is entirly incidental. A majority of the users run Windows, but a sizable chunk runs on MacOS, and an impressive (but pretty small) amount even use UNIX systems.
I feel we saved considerable time (and money) ignoring Microsoft's products. To me, Microsoft makes it fairly easy for people to use a computer, but their products are certainly not as appealing to us macho developers. In any case, what exactly is the problem here that regulating Microsoft will solve?
What sort of powers are needed? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:How do you plan to not throw out the baby (Score:3, Insightful)
Yep. Remember everyone - it was Xerox, Apple, Commodore, Atari, Sun, SGI...er...just about everyone. But the first consumer-level GUI would be that of the Mac. (Yeah, ProDOS and Lisa were first, but they weren't consumer-level.)