Spam (was Re: [oclug] rogers EUA)

[Ross Jordan]

> On Thu, 21 Mar 2002 20:54:41 -0500 (EST)
> Ross Jordan <rjordan at student.math.uwaterloo.ca> wrote:
> 
> > > Hmm.  From this we would infer that most people are happy with M$'s
> > > products.  Quite a few aren't, but feel that there "isn't any other
> > > choice out there".
> > It is true that quite a few aren't happy with Microsoft's software,
> > and indeed subscribers to lists like this might think this is
> > true of a larger majority of people.
> > In fact I saw a survey claiming 70% of people are happy with
> > Microsoft. And this seems about correct to me, after excluding my
> > non technical friends.
> 
> Gee, I wonder who did said survey, how it was worded and what the specific
> questions were? ;)
It was a CNN survey (not their website ones, but a paid survey).
CNN, being owned by time warner has no reason to work for Microsoft
on this one. (Sorry, I heard this one on TV [CNN], and can't show
proof).

> When I've dealt with Windows users over the years (I've worked in retail
> from time to time), I found that most of them were "happy" with Windows. 
> The problem was that most of them thought that that was just the way
> computers worked.  It was perfectly normal to have to reinstall Windows
> again and again.  It was OK to have a buggy system that kept crashing.
> 
> After all, computers are hard and difficult to make, and to make work. 
> Everyone uses Microsoft, so they must be the best!
Yes, these are valid points. Many users know no other choice than Windows
(well maybe DOS) as an OS. Regardless, Microsoft has strong approval by
the general (no technical) public.

> These are specific and almost direct quotes that customers have said to me
> when describing the problems they have with their machines!  They are
> "happy" with Microsoft because it's the best there is out there!  Trust
> me, I've sold a lot of computer systems, and most people think that they
> don't even have a right to complain!  Who are they to complain about it? 
> They don't even understand a computer!  It must be them that is causes the
> problems.  Best if they keep their mouths shut.
Well, I think you're not giving the "average" user enough credit.
For example, Bell Canada has a monopoly on local calling (or they did
until recently). That hasn't stopped anyone from complaining. People
will complain regardless of whther there is a problem or not.

> No, most people are _not_ happy with windows, they just think they are.
This is just wrong. You're either happy with something or you're not.
Yes, they may be happier with alternatives (then again they may also be
less happy -- most of the non techies I've shown Linux too thinks it is 
much worse). To claim someone doesn't know how he feels, and that you
know better is just arrogant.

> > > Capitalism works fine if there are many evenly matched players out
> > > there, competing for business.  We don't have that right now :/
> > Well, I beleive Bell and Rogers each have about 30-40% of the
> > residential market; I'm not sure this constitutes a monopoly.
> > 
> 
> I didn't say they were ;)  However, together, they have a majority of the
> market share.  You can be assured that they make little back room deals to
> carve out more of that market share between them as well.
Well maybe to some small degree, but they are also arch enemies.
Clearly their advertising is directly targetting the competitor.

 
> You can be assured that Rogers and Bell do the same thing in this market. 
> Capitalism does _not_ work correctly when there are two or three MASSIVE
> companies on the market that if taken together can form a monopoly. 
This is too much of a universal claim. I would argue that capitalism
is working with Coke vs. Pepsi, Dell vs. Compaq vs. HP; NBC vs.
CBS vs. ABC vs. FOX; 

With the Internet industry there are several large Canadian ISPs
Bell
AT&T
Rogers
AOL Canada
MSN
The remnants of I-Star

I beleive the problems will fix themselves naturally. I am
also upset with some of the lack of options in the Canadian
ISP space -- my solution is to build a wireless network and
form a community co-operative ISP (www.waterloowireless.com if
you're curious). I maintain that regulation is not the answer.

-Ross

-- 
"Trying to make bits uncopyable is like trying to make water not wet.
The sooner people accept this, and build business models that take
this into account, the sooner people will start making money again". 
	-- Bruce Schneier