Shame on Red Hat - When you can't win in the marketplace, run to the government
For a long time now, many companies are trying to kick MS's a33 in the courts b/c they aren't cutting it in the marketplace. Well, Red Hat and a bunch of other groups are currently lobbying the US Government to support the EU decision against Microsoft! Even if you think Microsoft is wrong, it's amazing that the same infraction is Japan resulted in $0.00 in fines, but $610 mil in the EU. Imagine what good that money could do if MS put it into R&D? Imagine what good that money could do if they floated it to SCO to keep up its lawsuit (which based on what I've just come across,I now hope they do).
If you are interested, you can join the Institute for Competitive Technology, individual memberships are free and corporate memberships are wayyy cheap.
Since I know I'm going to piss a lot of people off with my above statements, why not go for broke. The fact that Red Hat (an American company) is supporting the EU Commission (who's love for America is rivaled only by Usama bin Laden) against another American company is crazy to me. I'm probably one of the most radical free traders out there and don't have one ounce of that “don't buy foreign” crap in my blood, but this is a different issue. Another govt entity is attacking one of our most successful companies. It's bad enough our own government does it, it's bad enough they have trial lawyers nipping at their ankles everywhere they turn, but supporting a foreign govt (or encouraging our govt not to stand up for MS) is wrong.
I use Open Source and am supportive of it but I'm not a zealot. So please, any open source advocate that also believes in Capitalism, please tell me how bundling media player hurts consumers? Don't like it, don't use it, very easy. This is nuts.