The problem with being …

The problem with being a tech journalist is that everybody thinks you’re an expert and wants you to do their work for them.

MS on Linux: Thanks, But No Thanks

Microsoft knows where it doesn’t want to go, Miller says, and that’s headlong into the open-source camp.
Microsoft wants to stay a for-profit software company that charges for products and services. And it has
no use for open-source development models, he says, claiming that Microsoft’s existing peer-review and
beta-testing processes give Microsoft better quality control than open source can provide. He also
disputes open-source backers’ claims of faster time to market, claiming that, especially in the enterprise
space, Microsoft can add new features and make changes faster and more efficiently than any Linux
distributor.

More on Microsoft and Open Source: Microsoft’s Surgical Strike Team

Why do I hate the phone companies so much? Here’s why: Ameritech, from 1987 to 1997, mis-led its customers to purchase an optional service called “line-backer” which cost an average of $3.50 per line per month. If you assume that only a few percent (let’s say one million) of Ameritech’s customers took the bait, and they paid this recurring fee for one year, that would have nettied Ameritech about $40-50 million. Yet, Ameritech got caught and a Class Action Lawsuit was filed against them. To make restitution Ameritech is offering two $5 calling cards, but you have to call an 800 number to get them (1-800-769-3169). This is just stupid. Ameritech broke the law. They stole millions of dollars from their customers. They should be required to reimburse every single customer they ripped off in full, not offer some lame calling cards as restitution. Ask me again why I hate the phone companies? (read the second post)

Posted by Cameron Barrett at September 7, 2000 06:56 PM

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