December 1998, Issue 101

Hot Chips

BILL BASHING

The evening discussion panel, arranged by impresario John Wharton, is always good fun. This year’s topic was "Confronting the Microsoft challenge." In other words, can and/or should Microsoft be stopped?

Wharton related some of the difficulties in getting a panel together. Many would-be panelists sealed their fate with responses like, "After each panelist stands up and says ‘No, Microsoft can’t be stopped,’ how do you plan to kill the other 85 minutes?"

Perhaps more disturbing was how many potential panelists turned him down. Sure, the reasons were purportedly innocent—too busy, on vacation. But, the most common excuse was "prefer not to anger Microsoft." Sounds like fear and loathing in Silicon Valley.

Anyway, he managed to come up with a panel composed of a lawyer and various tech types who seemed, like many in the audience, rather unhappy with Microsoft. Complaints were along the line of got no class, software sucks, and done me wrong.

I have to credit the lawyer (Mr. Ian Feinberg) for generating more light than heat. Though no fan of Microsoft, he did point out that attempts to break it up can’t rely on historic antitrust reasoning. Standard Oil’s turn-of-the-century no-no was an attempt to monopolize by acquiring all competitors, while Microsoft is largely self-grown.

More recently, the breakup of AT&T was actually about deregulating something government created in the first place. Is the answer now to impose government regulation on Microsoft?

I find myself somewhere in the middle. I sometimes curse Bill as I give his latest bloatware the three-finger salute. But, there’s no doubt his machinations have enabled standardization (arguably a good thing). And, obtaining a monopolistic position isn’t illegal. It’s the way it’s obtained and whether it’s abused that deserves scrutiny.

Ultimately, my ambivalence is a reflection of a somewhat libertarian bent. As they say about democracy, we get the government we deserve. The same goes for free enterprise, and that means we get the OS we deserve, too.