
                  Operating System Comparisons (2) (Fidonet)

                 Saturday, 04-Sep-1999 to Friday, 10-Sep-1999

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From: Darrell Salter                                    05-Sep-99 15:17:18
  To: Jack Stein                                        08-Sep-99 06:53:21
Subj: Os/2 Users Suck Wors

Hi Jack!

 JS> Scott seems to be OK, then, he goes off the  wall. Maybe he has a
 JS> split personality.  Must be a  Gemini?

Hey! I'm a Gemini too, and I've always considered it an advantage. Kinda like
multitasking.  :-)

... For every vision there is an equal and opposite revision.

--- Maximus/2 3.01
 * Origin: Sparky's BBS, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (1:229/1)
203/88

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From: Darrell Salter                                    05-Sep-99 15:26:04
  To: David Bowerman                                    08-Sep-99 06:53:21
Subj: Rather Quiet in here...

 LA> Just to get things going again, what does anyone think of the MS
 LA> attempt to hijack the AOL Instant Messaging system?

 DB> Hijack?  In the great tradition of supplying software  that emulates
 DB> the function of a successful package?   Hardly anything to object
 DB> to other than the  probability that Microsoft will grab a large
 DB> chunk of  the instant messaging market by using their OS as leverage
 DB> and then promptly make their instant  messaging incompatible
 DB> with any other.

Exactly. Really a no-brainer there.

... In the fight between you and the world, bet on the world - F. Zappa

--- Maximus/2 3.01
 * Origin: Sparky's BBS, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada (1:229/1)
203/88

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From: LEE ARONER                                        07-Sep-99 03:25:00
  To: ALL                                               08-Sep-99 07:57:28
Subj: Why Bill wasn't worried

   With the facts in the anti-trust trial, it was easy to see that 
   Billie would lose, and in the process, open the floodgates to 
   thousands of lawsuits by the developers and users that have been 
   harmed by his monopoly tactics. And then there is the issue of 
   the inevitable ensuing stockholder suits and the mass migration 
   (presaged by the current exodus of executive "talent") of 
   employees as the value of their stock options dissolves. Who 
   wants to develop crap software for peanut pay if you're not gonna 
   at least get some juicy options out of it?

   Until yesterday however, it wasn't at all obvious why Billie was 
   so blase about this impending implosion of his business...never 
   mind that he's been selling off a quarter billion dollars each 
   quarter of his stock holdings, clearly he was at least hedging 
   his bets.

   But the recent news that MS includes a special key for the use of 
   the NSA, in each and every copy of Windows sold, no matter 
   whether that copy is destined for domestic or foreign use, 
   explains how Billy thought that he would leverage his way out of 
   the problem. No doubt some fix was negotiated with the spook 
   community that would ensure no lasting damage to MS from the 
   trial. How they planned to implement that I have no idea - but 
   it's certainly an interesting question, and one that raises 
   additional questions about the nature and source of whatever 
   "currency" the NSA expected to use to force such a scheme.

   Unfortunately for Billie, now that the cat is out of the bag, and 
   even worse, now that MS's ludicrously insecure implementation of 
   the key system has been exposed  there is no longer any reason 
   for the NSA to hold up their end of the bargain. (Because the 
   placement and usage of the key has been deciphered, it is a 
   simple matter to replace the NSA key with your own, thereby 
   completely negating the value of this back door to the crypto 
   system).

   No doubt, the screaming fits and psychotic breaks in the CEO's 
   office, that have been the catalyst for so many recent executive 
   resignations, are increasing exponentially in number and 
   frequency.

   Also no doubt, there will shortly be free "Service Packs" issued 
   for all MS os's, which will include a "secret" fix, desperately 
   instituted on orders from Billie, to the flawed key procedure. I 
   bet the lights are on in Redmond tonight. And I also bet that 
   this won't be good enough for the NSA, and that therefore:

   MS is toast.

   Now if only the DOJ will do the right thing and institute 
   criminal perjury charges against Billie and his lying-under-oath, 
   evidence-tampering executives, we will shortly be rid of this 
   stain on the American software business.

   Thank god.

                                       LRA

   NOTE: WinLemmings, please feel free to forward a copy of this to 
   your handler at Waggoner-Edstrom.
---
  SPEED 2.01 #2720  Barbie and the Pentium-90 agree!  "Math is hard!"
 * Origin: Memory Alpha - (253) 859-6200 (1:343/311)
3613/666

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From: Rob Basler                                        08-Sep-99 11:27:00
  To: Lee Aroner                                        08-Sep-99 18:44:20
Subj: Why Bill wasn't worried

LA>   But the recent news that MS includes a special key for the use of
LA>   the NSA, in each and every copy of Windows sold, no matter
LA>   whether that copy is destined for domestic or foreign use,

Details??

Rob.
___
 X SLMR 2.1a X recursive (ree 'cuhr siv) adj. - see recursive.

--- Maximus/2 3.01
 * Origin: Frog Hollow Port Moody BC 604-469-0264/0284 (1:153/290)
3613/666

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From: Jack Stein                                        01-Sep-99 07:11:13
  To: All                                               09-Sep-99 19:35:13
Subj: DBAT Babble August Part 1 of 1

                               Part  1                               
                    The OS/2 REXX BabbloMeter Report                    
      Monthly Babble received in OS-DEBAT at Jack's Free Lunch BBS      
                            August, 1999                             

                    14 users babbled 38 Messages                     

Outbound Babble        %     K   Avg K | Incoming Babble         %
=======================================|============================
 11 JACK STEIN       28.9%   29k   2.6 |  10 JACK STEIN        26.3%
  7 LEE ARONER       18.4%   12k   1.7 |   6 DAVID BOWERMAN    15.8%
  5 DAVID BOWERMAN   13.2%    6k   1.3 |   5 SCOTT LITTLE      13.2%
  3 SCOTT LITTLE      7.9%    6k   2.0 |   4 LEE ARONER        10.5%
  2 MIKE RUSKAI       5.3%    4k   1.8 |   3 ROSS CASSELL       7.9%
  2 ROSS CASSELL      5.3%    8k   4.1 |   3 ALL                7.9%
  1 JUSTIN BAUSTERT   2.6%    2k   1.8 |   1 MIKE RUSKAI        2.6%
  1 RACHEL VERAA      2.6%    2k   1.6 |   1 MATT BEDYNEK       2.6%
  1 FERNAN BOLANDO    2.6%    4k   4.4 |   1 FERNAN BOLANDO     2.6%
  1 DON BARBA         2.6%    1k   0.9 |   1 TIM BOUCOS         2.6%
  1 STEVE QUARRELLA   2.6%    1k   1.3 |   1 TODD HENSON        2.6%
  1 TIM BOUCOS        2.6%    2k   2.5 |   1 WILLIAM MCBRINE    2.6%
  1 WILLIAM MCBRINE   2.6%    1k   1.3 |   1 DIRK CAP           2.6%
  1 DIRK CAP          2.6%    3k   3.1 |  

--- MakeMsg v2.1
 * Origin: Jack's Free Lunch 4OS2 USR16.8 Pgh Pa (412)492-0822 (1:129/171.0)

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From: LEE ARONER                                        08-Sep-99 23:17:00
  To: ROB BASLER                                        10-Sep-99 08:22:05
Subj: Why Bill wasn't worried

LA>   But the recent news that MS includes a special key for the use of
LA>   the NSA, in each and every copy of Windows sold, no matter
LA>   whether that copy is destined for domestic or foreign use,

RB> Details??


   The following URL gets you to the cryptographer that blew the 
   whistle. For the newsy approach, check ZDNet headlines from a few 
   days ago.

          http://www.cryptonym.com/hottopics/msft-nsa.html#details

                                       LRA


 -- SPEED 2.01 #2720: "It's a JOKE, son... a JOKE, ah say." - F. Leghorn
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/Wildcat5! v2.0
 * Origin: Memory Alpha - (253) 859-6200 (1:343/311)
3613/666

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