Any Microsoft thoughts, Das?

June 7, 2000

Hi,

Das, as an astrologer and as a software developer, how do you respond to the

Judge's ruling to split Microsoft?

Lalia

June 7, 2000

Thanks for asking.

Bill Gates grabbed an early OS, created by someone else, and by smart

dealmaking, manuevered it into first place in the early eighties. Thus

having a stronghold on the computer market from OS (DOS) level early on,

gained significant income.

Like any good businessman, he reinvested earnings in related fields,

namely application software, and continued to prosper all the more.

Due to the early public impressions that an "IBM" was better than

anything else, his OS became the dominant one. Apple came in and started

to take the glory with the Mac OS which was engineered after DOS, and

was significantly more attractive to most people.

Gates took the idea, and was sued but won, and Windows continues to be

dominate following in the upgrade trail of the success of DOS.

Computers are so attractive, that everybody buys them, and hence, Bill

Gates has become the Gate for all dollar bills, as he touches them all

once or twice in a way, thus earning the status of being one of the

richest people on Earth.

Actually, he controls a number of corporations and trusts, and thus,

under the protections of Corporate and Business Trust Law, has been

propelling himself into positions of greater and greater amounts of

control over more and more diverse businesses, much of which is unseen

by everyone, as Corporate and Trust Law affords alot of secrecy.

The government knows all about this, because they are lawyers.

Then, the issue, is that should the maker of the dominant OS be able to

make application software in house? Usually the obvious answer to all

computer professionals is a clear NO. This is a very unfair advantage.

Microsoft has made no hiding of the fact that they leverage this

advantage, as much of their application software is delivered right with

windows for free, or hooks into Windows in a way that only in house

software could.

But even if they make the case that all hooks are open to all other

developers, the fact remains that they deliver so much preset

"Microsoft-ness" into the OS, that most users will just go with it,

hence, they instantly took over the browser marketplace, thus greatly

hurting other browser companies like Netscape. They pre-deliver their

MSN and other such things constantly. It's very obvious that the OS is

more than just an OS, it's a whole Microsoft store waiting for you, and

most people just go with it. What else is a new user or a casual

computer user going to do?

So to me it's a no brainer. If I were the King of America I'd break them

up too, and make real sure that the two halves don't do hidden

collusions behind the scenes. Gates should simply understand that he's

rich enough, and that what he's doing is pure selfishness. There's a big

world of people out there. His opinion and his wallet are not all that

counts, so somebody has to stop him in this trail he's on.

Astrologically, I think the collection of planets in Aries over the last

so many months represent the strong opposition to his strong 5th house

where his Laksmi Yoga resides. The conflagration included Jupiter, the

holder of the Law. Now that Saturn moves to Taurus, or 8th from Libra,

it strongly supports the decline of the longevity of Libra. Saturn

transiting the 8th is a part of many or most of the "Death" yogas. So

for Libra Lagna or Moon or Libra anything, this is a period starting now

which is somewhat hard on the longevity of the Libran entity.

The fifth house is sport and speculation. It's a big part of many rich

folks lives. There's a competitive edge to it, as it drains the debts

and enemies of their power. The fifth house is the wavelength on which

Gates operates. It's about attracting others, winning, gambling, being

smart and crafty, and so on. Gates is a classic example of all these

things. His drive and will to overcome are amazing.

In the computer arena at this time, the heart of the computer person

goes to Linux, since it is a new, free, open source, operating system.

This is a vast departure from the past. Windows is not free, very

privately held code. Linux is open. The current OS's, both Windows and

Mac are not. There is a trend these days towards promoting "Open

Source", which is a like a movement in the computer world. It says "Sell

your software, but give the source code too". This means that a

programmer could alter the program for themselves or their company. It's

an idea strong in the Unix and Linux worlds. But it is small.

Long ago Apple had a software arm they split off, called Claris. They

saw this and did it that way long ago. Microsoft should have done the

same long ago too.

There are other big powerful people, who control massive amounts of our

economy, but they do so in hidden ways, things like Banks mostly. Their

dominance over us all is hidden, and they are more integrated with the

old families of the country, and the government.

Gates on the other hand represents the very finest of the upstart

entreprenurs, building a massive financial organization in a short time,

as a single young person, and with a highly visible product line. He

dominates so much in the computer world, that many other companies

despise him openly constantly. This atmosphere makes him all too visible

and his dominance is known to everyone.

In fact, this split will hurt him if it's actually done correctly, but

not all that much. He could still be so big, it's just a little harder

to dominate if he cannot so overtly tie all his other wares into the OS.

Libra rules the marketplace. His Laksmi Yoga is in Libra. He is

certainly big in the marketplace of the world during his lifetime, so

Libra is a big part of his life. Saturn entering the 8th therefrom

spells hard times for him compared to the past.

When Saturn gets to Gemini, Gates will personally not feel as great as

he would have in the past. Things will be at least quieter, less growth,

but more steady and maintain. He's getting older and he's not

particularly a health conscious individual. He's undergone tremendous

stress for years. He may think he's invincible, but we all wear out eventually.

I personally find that rampant materialism is at a height, and the

current lineup of Most Important Corporate CEO's let all hell through

their companies in order to profit. I recently installed Windows 98

fresh on a system, with ALL the bells and whistles turned on, and I

cruised the net in the "APPROVED" way, and found it to a jungle equal to

TV in terms of marketting coming at me. And the mood of the marketting,

is overall geared towards a very shallow world view. Most of it is

garnished with miniskirts, young people, kids with dreadlocks and baggy

pants, and so on. It's always so "current" and "trendy", it makes one ill.

I think genuine consciousness is growing, and I think that the trend

overall in society is towards more real hardy reality. I think the

massive campaigns against Tobacco and Microsoft show the real signs of

the times, that people are fed up with being spoon fed BS and allowing

it just because somebody is profitting. I know that sounds weird, but

that's how we've been operating as a country and people forever. If

somebody makes their living on something, they have to be allowed to do

it. That's gotta stop. Unscrupulous people will sell you poison if

allowed to, and that's what alot of businesses are doing.

As we enter this new age we're in, we've learned alot about ourselves.

The web makes it all the more obvious what we are and are not. I think

so many people are getting sick in so many ways, from all the garbage,

that more and more accountability in terms of real service to humanity

is being asked of companies, and of us as individuals.

There are times when government is required, and this is one of them.

I'm glad there is a multi step process, and that we don't live in a

heavy handed autocracy of some sort, because tyranny would be the

result. I think it's OK to work hard and do better than others, because

the realities of Varna (natural castes) dicates this as a necessity in

society for good health. But dominance, legal, perceived or defacto, is

something that is bad for everyone.

I find Bill Gates a very cruel individual. I say this because he never

stops standing up for his mood, his ways, his company, and his plan for

the world. But it's not his to dictate to. He decidedly ignores the

graciousness that his position begs on all of us. He is purely

corporate, purely business, and this is evil. When in power, there must

be great care and concern for others. Microsoft has always been so hell

bent on power it's unbelievable. Those of us who know intimite details

of it's past, moreso than the average public person, know that Gates has

always been EXTREMELY agressive about controlling IT ALL. He really

thinks he's doing the world a great favor. There are sides to that which

are true, arguably, especially in the arena of "Standards", which are

important with computers, very, but then again, we want the right of

self rule, or as Gandhi said, "we want the right to make our own

mistakes". Gates is not my Guru. He shouldn't be anybody's Guru.

Obviously, on this subject, I, like many other computer professionals,

have sore feelings.

By the way, YEARS AGO, everyone who was thinking in computers, was

wondering why Microsoft DARED to make applications software ALSO. It's

an OBVIOUS violation of decent behavior, period, when you understand how

OS's and Applications interact. The fact they got away with it this long

only shows our government is VERY SLOW. It's OBVIOUS this should not be

allowed.

Thanks for the opp.

Raghu

June 7, 2000

Sorry Das, but I disagree with you in part. I don't think we needed

judicial activism and the Dept of Justice to topple Microsoft. I think in a

matter of a year the market itself would have produced many cracks for all

to see in Microsoft and then the next year it would have collapsed from

within.

Freedom will prevail. Systems like Linux are gaining in dominance--only to

be toppled by the next wave of innovation and opportunity.

Bill Gates was opportunistic and in the right place at the right time,

clearly. We must not also forget those who GAVE him their money, millions

and millions of US and world consumers who thought the system not all that

bad. The economy is a two way street, the producers and the consumers, two

sides of the same coin, as it were.

We point the finger, but are not three fingers pointing back at us?

With Uranus in Capricorn and Saturn in Aries we see the fast rising and fall

of technology in the world today. Yes I am a libertarian (small l) but now

becoming fast a siderealist!!!

Microsoft....Windows, well it's all we got....for the moment that is. The

moments are more and more swiftly moving on. Tomorrow out of the ruins of

the leviathans I am sure will emerge a better technology, a better computer

dream actualized. Lovers of truth, like astrologers and programmers, will

hold high the torch, the world will follow in the way.

Yes indeed, Das, Bill Gates brought light into the world. Bankers,

industrialists, weapons producers and war mongerers do it in the dark, we

never see or hear of them--it is they who I believe truly embody evil, or

the power of illusion, in the world--they will be the instrumentality of

earth's self destruction.

The internet and computers, doing many things, have unified us somewhat, but

have magnified human inanity to an unimaginable degree. Like I said, a few

will lead the way.......

============================================

Curtis Burns

3800 Elliot Ave

Minneapolis, MN 55407

PH/FX 612-823-9104

Website:

http://www.globalpersonalvictory.com

webmaster

or,

cburns

============================================

Das []

Wednesday, June 07, 2000 7:44 PM

gjlist

Re: [gjlist] Any Microsoft thoughts, Das?