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1 year ago

in Microsoft is Dead on Paul Graham
I'm the older half and I agree with you anyway. How old, you ask, well let's just say that my first computer was made by Radio Shack, my first programming language was Microsoft Basic, and I built my own DOS box back in the early 80's.

Microsoft was my hero for 20 years - not anymore. I left Visual Studio and IIS for the world of Java programming in 2000. In 2005 I switched to Linux servers and MySQL. Finally just this year I bought two Macs instead of upgrading anything to Vista. I even work at one of those "Web 2.0" startup companies that are all the rage.

Who says you can't be young forever?

I'm not naieve about Microsoft's power as a company. I still buy their stock, and I expect them to be around for a long time. I just don't expect them to do much that I care about, in the same way that Chrysler makes cars that I'd never consider buying.
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BXP The Chrysler 300 was named Motor Trend's Car of the Year in 2005. Your basis for not considering Chrysler cars is emotional vs. rational. You don't want a Chrysler because of your perception of the company--not because you don't feel their cars will successfully get you from point A to point B.

In the same way, it seems decisions about your software development platform are following suit. You stopped liking Microsoft, not because their products no longer were sufficient, but because, in your eyes, the company became something you didn't want to be associated with.

Please, don't take my reply to be harsh--that's not my intent. In some way or another, we're all guilty of wanting to support companies that we feel align with our values or image. And many companies strive to build customer bases with such zealous advocates.

However, a company's responsibility isn't just to these ardent fans. Microsoft never asked to be your hero, so when the company doesn't live up to your ideals, can you really hold it against it? MS needs to do what it feels is best for itself, its customers and its shareholders.

1 year ago

in A Shining Example of Socialism, and Why America Can’t Compete on dmiessler.com | grep understanding

What's so bad about high taxes? First off, one way or another you pay for stuff. If your taxes are high, your society offers more benefits and that means less you have to buy with your own money. How many Americans go broke paying for health care, or paying extra for private education because they can't find a worthwhile public school?


Secondly, let's stop and think about what money really is. People think they work for "their" money and then the government "takes" some of it as taxes. However, if it were not for the government, you would not have the job you have making the money you make, because there would not be a stable civilization on which people could build businesses and careers. This is especially true if you make your living in an intellectual field. Try being a web site developer in a country with an unstable government and see how far you get with it. Imagine being a musician or a software developer or a movie producer in a country that doesn't have the resources to enforce copyright laws.


Government and industry work together to provide the citizenry with a certain standard of living. How much "money" you end up earning and/or paying in taxes isn't the point. The point is the benefits you get at the end of the day. If you can go home to a heated house, eat a good meal, and get a doctor to take care of you when you're ill, you're better off than most of the world. If you can afford a car and a computer you're wealthy by global standards. Stop complaining about your $9 pint of beer and start thinking about people who don't even have clean water to drink.

1 year ago

in A Shining Example of Socialism, and Why America Can’t Compete on danielmiessler.com | grep understanding

What's so bad about high taxes? First off, one way or another you pay for stuff. If your taxes are high, your society offers more benefits and that means less you have to buy with your own money. How many Americans go broke paying for health care, or paying extra for private education because they can't find a worthwhile public school?


Secondly, let's stop and think about what money really is. People think they work for "their" money and then the government "takes" some of it as taxes. However, if it were not for the government, you would not have the job you have making the money you make, because there would not be a stable civilization on which people could build businesses and careers. This is especially true if you make your living in an intellectual field. Try being a web site developer in a country with an unstable government and see how far you get with it. Imagine being a musician or a software developer or a movie producer in a country that doesn't have the resources to enforce copyright laws.


Government and industry work together to provide the citizenry with a certain standard of living. How much "money" you end up earning and/or paying in taxes isn't the point. The point is the benefits you get at the end of the day. If you can go home to a heated house, eat a good meal, and get a doctor to take care of you when you're ill, you're better off than most of the world. If you can afford a car and a computer you're wealthy by global standards. Stop complaining about your $9 pint of beer and start thinking about people who don't even have clean water to drink.

2 years ago

in Computers Coming Preloaded with More Crapware Than Ever Before on Bob Caswell
I bought a Latitude D620 laptop from Dell last year. It had no extra software, trials or anything else on it whatsoever. It also came in a small box with little more than a recovery CD and the power supply. It was the most pleasant experience I've ever had with a new computer. Perhaps this is one of the benefits of buying from their "business" line of products rather than the "consumer" line.
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