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.