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Fwd: Petreley does Oz



Here is a fun Petreley column from InfoWorld:

>  [Down to the Wire]
> 
>        October 26, 1998
> 
>        Looking for the Wizard of Redmond? Follow the yellow brick
>        road ahead
> 
>        If I had a nickel for every time someone compared Bill
>        Gates to the Wizard of Oz ("Pay no attention to the truth
>        behind that curtain"), Gates would no longer be the richest
>        person on earth.
> 
>        I've often wondered what it would be like to take the
>        comparison to its logical conclusion and turn the Wizard of
>        Oz into pure allegory. Dorothy's first encounter might be
>        with a handful of corporate IT professionals engaged in a
>        strategic political battle with Dilbertian pointy-haired
>        bosses. The IT professionals, portrayed by the Scarecrow,
>        would sing this song of Windows NT momentum ...
> 
>             We could while away the hours advisin' to the
>             powers "migration is insane." But our heads we'll
>             be scratchin' while their Windows schemes are
>             hatchin' if they only had a brain.
> 
>             It's a mys'try and a riddle, with registries
>             they'll fiddle, and reinstall again. Wasted time
>             they'll be spendin' on the reboots never endin'
>             if they only had a brain.
> 
>             Oh, we -- can't tell you why they don't like
>             NetWare more.
> 
>             To do the things they can't with NT 4 they'll
>             wait for 5 -- and wait some more.
> 
>             Yes, our bosses have a mission, an NT expedition,
>             and so it will remain.
> 
>             But our costs could be shrinkin' if our bosses
>             did some thinkin' if they only had a brain.
> 
>        The Department of Justice claims that Microsoft violated
>        its consent decree. Dorothy notes that the DOJ's position
>        is precarious, pointing out that the consent decree had no
>        teeth and contained a fatal loop hole. A pundit, in the
>        form of the Lion, sings ...
> 
>             Yes, the DOJ went sissy, it's sad, believe me,
>             missy, when Billy threw a curve. He can copy
>             innovation if he calls it integration 'cause they
>             didn't have the nerve.
> 
>             I understand you vendors fully, that Microsoft's
>             a bully, a fate you don't deserve. But the
>             vendors of the nation could avoid this situation
>             if they only had the nerve.
> 
>        Microsoft executives would vigorously defend their
>        position. They are represented by the Tin Man, who sings
>        ...
> 
>             We would never think of stealin' technologies
>             appealin', we'd always do our part. But for that
>             I'm presumin' we would have to be quite human if
>             we only had a heart.
> 
>             Screw the moral implications of global
>             domination, for us it is an art. We will pet
>             friends like sparrows while we'll pick them off
>             with arrows if we only had a heart.
> 
>             Picture me -- as royalty. Above a voice mourns
>             low. "Trade secrets where'd they go?" I hear
>             defeat ... how sweet.
> 
>             Just to register emotion, integrity, devotion,
>             why is it we should start? When our strategy's
>             a-workin' while the judge's chain we're jerkin'
>             if we only had a heart.
> 
>        In marches Caldera to the rescue, played by Dorothy and her
>        friends. They sing gleefully of claims that Microsoft used
>        tricks and monopoly power to squash DR-DOS ...
> 
>             We're off to sue the Wizard, the Windowful Wizard
>             of DOS, because he ran a wiz of a biz by taking a
>             whiz on us. If ever oh ever a case there was,
>             this suit we'll win, we'll win because, because,
>             because, because, because, because ... because of
>             the anti-competitive things he does.
> 
>             We're off to sue the Wizard, The Windowful Wizard
>             of DOS!
> 
>                      ------------------------------
> 
> 
>            Former consultant and programmer, Nicholas Petreley
>           represents the Lollipop Guild. Send your comments to
>                     [email protected].


-- 
Eric Bennett ( [email protected] ; http://www.pobox.com/~ericb )
Department of Chemistry, Cornell University
377 S.T. Olin Chemistry Lab

What's the difference between Microsoft and Jurassic Park?
One is a fantasy theme park populated with dinosaurs; the
other is a movie.
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