RE: GPL & commercial software, the critical distinction (fwd)

Forwarded message:

> Date: Thu, 01 Oct 1998 22:28:49 -0700
> From: "James A. Donald" <jamesd@echeque.com>
> Subject: RE: GPL & commercial software, the critical distinction (fwd)

> Bullshit.  No monopoly has ever happened except by regulation

That is truly Bullshit.

Microsoft got to where it is because of a lack of regulation, the abuses of
the aircraft industry  in the 1940-50's that led to regulation at the end of
the 50's and 60's. The steel industry in the north east in the early 1900's.
The food packing and garment industries of the north east and pacific coast
in the 20's through the 50's. The railroad industry in the mid-1800's.

Every one of these created a monopolistic market because of a *lack* of
regulation.


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At 8:34 AM -0500 10/4/98, Jim Choate wrote:
>> From: "James A. Donald" <jamesd@echeque.com>
>> Subject: RE: GPL & commercial software, the critical distinction (fwd)
>> Bullshit.  No monopoly has ever happened except by regulation
>That is truly Bullshit.

>Microsoft got to where it is because of a lack of regulation, the abuses of

	Microsoft is nowhere NEAR a monopoly. Yes, they are the largest in
their niche, but they are coming under increasing competition, and even
without government interference in the markets they will come under
increasing competition from Linux, Solaris x86, and possibly MacOS X.

>the aircraft industry  in the 1940-50's that led to regulation at the end of
>the 50's and 60's. The steel industry in the north east in the early 1900's.
>The food packing and garment industries of the north east and pacific coast
>in the 20's through the 50's. The railroad industry in the mid-1800's.

	The railroad industry in the mid-1800's was CAUSED BY GOVERNMENT.

	Try reading that link that Gering posted to Greenspans essay on
Anti-trust: http://www.ecosystems.net/mgering/antitrust.html

	I can't speak to the others, but I'd bet that lurking behind each
of them is the Government causing the problems it later seeks to solve with
more legislation.

>Every one of these created a monopolistic market because of a *lack* of
>regulation.

	Wrong. Too much government interference.
--
petro@playboy.com----for work related issues. I don't speak for Playboy.
petro@bounty.org-----for everthing else.      They wouldn't like that.
                                              They REALLY
Economic speech IS political speech.          wouldn't like that.

> > No monopoly has ever happened except by regulation

At 08:34 AM 10/4/98 -0500, Jim Choate wrote:
> Microsoft got to where it is because of a lack of
> regulation, 

Microsoft is not a monopoly.  In servers, where much of their
income comes from, Linux is eating their lunch, and the
desktop is under continual threat.  For a monopoly to be a
monopoly, you not only have to have most of the market, you
have to have some means of excluding others, which Microsoft
manifestly does not.

> the abuses of the aircraft industry  in the 1940-50's that
> led to regulation at the end of the 50's and 60's. The
> steel industry in the north east in the early 1900's. The
> food packing and garment industries of the north east and
> pacific coast in the 20's through the 50's. The railroad
> industry in the mid-1800's.

You are totally deluded.  None of these are examples of
monopoly, except for the railroad industry where government
intervention was for the purpose of creating monopoly, not
preventing it.

The garment and food packing industries were and are a huge
network of innumerable tiny shops, and the aircraft industry
had several big companies in fierce competition. 

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         James A. Donald
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http://www.jim.com/jamesd/      James A. Donald