I agree with Jeanne.  Note:
1.  DOJ broke up Standard Oil to the consumers benefit.
2.  Ditto A. T. & T.
3.  Got after IBM which changed some of its business
    practices to the IT industries benefit.
4.  Now we have MS getting too over powering in its market
    and taking advantage of that fact.

This is "chilling" (quoting Denys)?  Hardly.  Even for MS
shareholders.  History tells us that the sum total of the
stock in a broken up company is worth more than the original.

Nick D.


Jeanne Pitts wrote:
>
> Nonsense.  If Mr. Gates had merely marketed his product at the best of his
> companies ability to do so without sabotaging every other vendor with a
> similar product, this would not be happening.  The point is that Mr. Gates
> engages in unfair business practices and should be made to pay for that.
> And with his ability to pay, I doubt that this will hurt him very much.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Denys Beauchemin [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> X-no-Archive:yes
> You guys are all missing the point.  The Federal government has now stepped
> in
> and will regulate the computer software industry.  We will come to rue
> Friday,
> 5 November 1999.  It will become known as Black Friday in the IT industry.
>  This is what this whole thing is about. Government control of software
> development.  Our only hope now is that Bill Gates will have the fortitude
> to
> see this through, all the way to the Supreme Court if need be, and that in
> the
> end this judgment gets overturned.  Another reason why the upcoming 2000
> election is going to be very important.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Denys. . .
>
> Denys Beauchemin