NODE 31ffa6e2Microsoft/Phillipines
Jon Galt <jongalt@pinn.net>Tue, 25 Nov 1997 11:55:19 +0800
This is from Infobeat News - Morning Edition, 11/24/97
> *** Microsoft grants software amnesty to Philippines
>
> Philippines President Fidel Ramos met with Microsoft Corp. Chairman
> Bill Gates Friday and collected a certificate legalizing much of his
> government's pirated computer software. After a ceremony to observe
> the signing of agreements tightening relations between the software
> giant and the Philippines, Gates gave Ramos a license for free
> software that was the equivalent of a partial declaration of amnesty.
> The license allows the Philippine government to use older Microsoft
> products, such as the DOS operating system, that previously were
> being used illegally by many government agencies. See
> http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=6086523-f4f
I think it is really cool that a private company can actually negotiate
somewhat as an equal with a government. One implication of this is that
Microsoft is becoming a more powerful corporation - which is not
necessarily a good thing.
But the other thing it might imply is that the power of government is
slipping - which is definitely a good thing.
______________________________________________________________________
Jon Galt
e-mail: jongalt@pinn.net
website: http://www.pinn.net/~jongalt/
PGP public key available on my website.
Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
______________________________________________________________________
NODE c010c0b1Re: Microsoft/Phillipines
? the Platypus {aka David Formosa} <dformosa@st.nepean.uws.edu.au>Wed, 26 Nov 1997 20:02:58 +0800
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On Mon, 24 Nov 1997, Jon Galt wrote:
[...]
> I think it is really cool that a private company can actually negotiate
> somewhat as an equal with a government.
If thare power is equal with government then there corruption will be
equal with government. Goverment, corperation, caffelblonker there all
the diffrent lables for the same missgided idear.
> But the other thing it might imply is that the power of government is
> slipping - which is definitely a good thing.
Now its just changing hands.
- --
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You Say To People "Throw Off Your Chains" And They Make New Chains For
Themselves? --Terry Pratchett. I do not reply to munged addresses.
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