Internet

The Federal Court in the United States issued a decision on the split of Microsoft. Alexander Kostinsky considers this decision half.

Kostinsky

Last week, judge Thomas Penfield Jackson made a decision to divide Microsoft into two parts. One is engaged in the Windows operating system, the other - with all the other software products of the company. This solution, of course, will affect the computer industry, but do not exaggerate what happened. The decision was made half.

The testimony of witnesses in the process left no doubt that Microsoft was trying, trying and will try to maintain control over the mass of mass software by any means, including threats and direct pressure on partners and competitors. Many facts indicate the unscrupulous doing business and the use of Microsoft to the market in the market to strangle rivals by no means market methods. But the division of the company into two or five parts will not lead to the restoration of the competitive environment if supporters and opponents of this decision will still ignore a specific situation, relying only on general ideas about the essence of a market economy.

To evaluate the correctness of the court decision, it is worth understanding: due to which Microsoft can dictate its conditions to other companies and does these circumstances eliminate the decision?

In the world of software, not everyone is equal. Operating systems occupy an exceptional place in it. The operating system is several united auxiliary programs that are constantly in the computer's memory. Thanks to them, parts of the machine are connected together. Without the operating system, applied programs, such as text, graphic, tabular editors or various databases, will not be able to work directly. The creators of computer iron and applied programs depend on the company, the owner of the operating system, as they are obliged to dock their products with it. If the product is incompatible with the mass operating system, then it is doomed to a narrow market.

Therefore, the main property of Microsoft, of course, is the Windows operating system, which is controlled by more than 80 percent of personal computers of the world.

And Bill Gates will try not to let her out of the hands to the last, because it is Windows that gives an advantage to all other products of the company, such as a package of office applications - Microsoft Office or the Internet gunner - Microsoft Internet Explorer. Because of this, all other mass software developers have to wait until Microsoft managers will deign information about some Windows properties necessary to develop their own programs. This often happens when similar Microsoft products enter the market. Only by controlling the most massive operating system, Bill Gates can dictate conditions to the entire computer community, crowding competitors.

The exceptional role of the operating system requires exceptional qualities. Reliability, security and scalability are the main requirements for it. But it is precisely these qualities that the Windows is completely lacking. Its core does not contain built -in functions of delimiting the powers of access to critical files using passwords and priorities. This makes it vulnerable not only for viruses, but also of user malfunctions and user errors. In the terminology of Maxim Petnovnov: unstable to the "hit" behind the wheel of women and children, and simply to UFOs (unidentified lethal fibers). " This happens from a desire at all costs to maintain the compatibility of all versions with the constant addition of new functions and opportunities that appear on the market. Thus, the Microsoft case is not only a problem of monopolism and dishonest competition, but also the question of the unmistered near future of the entire digital industry.

Given the monopoly role in the market, the ineradicable weaknesses of Windows and the fact that it is it - the instrument of suppression of objectionable, in our opinion, can abandon the idea of the Microsoft section. The section will not save the industry from monopoly, but simply transmit the monopoly functions of the part of the company that will get the operating system. What prevents her from having “especially warm relationships” with another part of Microsoft or launch your own Office-2, changing only the sign, because the codes of these programs are closed? The court cannot prohibit the new company to develop its own software. No matter how it cuts a hearing in order to avoid Microsoft cloning, it is reasonable to nationalize the Windows operating system, or rather, even to socialize, opening the source codes of the program through the Internet, because not only the American economy, but also the economy of all developed countries depends on its state. How significant these ties have shown the recent losses of almost $ 10 billion due to Iloveyou viral infection, which parasitizes Microsoft products.

Bill Gates's monopolism is a really global problem, which is conflicting with the national character of Sherman's antitrust law. Society, of course, does not mean expropriation and should include the compensation procedure for Microsoft for the alienated intellectual product.

We have no doubt that such proposals will meet serious criticism from supporters of market fundamentalism, who from the threshold deny any state intervention in the market process. Even the compromise decision of the court, which leaves almost everything in its place, was commented on by the editor of Wall Street Jornal Robert Bartley as follows: "It is difficult to determine how Microsoft infringed the interests of consumers." It was also argued that in the electronic industry there is enough competition, and that the Microsoft section would not give anything to consumers, but only enrich lawyers and allow the state to once again intervene in the economy where it has nothing to do. Robert Bartley mixed all the segments of a really risky and competitive computer market with the interests of consumers, and against this background it looks really strange: why are they so addicted only to Microsoft? The leader of the republican faction in the House of Representatives of Dick Army also acted in the same spirit: "Consumers are not harmed by Microsoft, but such decisions of the court!" He further emphasized that persecution against the corporation can slow down technological progress.

Honestly, it is strange, but, apparently for a century, I did not even convince some professionals that the market has not been determined for a long time by the classic balance of supply and supply, which creates optimal prices, satisfying the needs of the client. Marketing, advertising, stimulating sales not only serve old ones, but also create new needs. They are powerful market management tools. In the same way, in politics, propaganda and “public Rileshens” significantly, and sometimes radically, move the formally free will of voters away from their real needs.

I recall the warnings of a specialist on the directed influence of George Soros’s financial markets: “The main scientific support of the ideology of non -interference is a theory that claims that free competing markets ensure the balance of demand and proposals and thereby ensure the best distribution of resources. The economic theory managed to create an artificial world in which the preferences of the participants and the possibilities arising before them do not depend on each other, but they do not depend on each other, but they do not depend on each other. Prices are striving for these two forces, but in the financial markets, it is not just a passive reflection of independent demands of the demand and proposals. stability ".

Ideas about the beneficial non -interference of the state in any areas of economic life and is trying to exploit the highest management of Microsoft, trying to maintain his technological dictate in this way, leading discussions from dangerous specific issues and ultimately hoping for the upcoming presidential elections and appeal: “We expect that the Court of Appeal will support most of our arguments: we must remain unified the company must maintain the right to respond to consumer requests, integrating new opportunities into the Windows system. " Saying this, Steve Balmer seemed to have forgotten that when possessing information, the developers themselves can combine independent applied programs with Windows OS, that the rapid development of the personal computers market began with the opening of the IBM architecture of their personalities. The market arose, but, having lost control of the standard, IBM has faded into the background. This is what Bill Gates is afraid that the opening of the Windows code will inevitably push Microsoft to the second roles, although it will lead to greater mobility and stability of the industry. But without such a handicap as control over the "integration of new opportunities into the Windows system", it is impossible to compete with programmers of the whole world.

So, a paradoxical situation has arisen - only the state’s intervention in market relations can return the industry a normal competitive atmosphere. However, for this, the arguing parties need to understand that the matter is not in the general principles of the functioning of the economy, but in the specific relations of the owners of operating systems and applied programs.

The court decision is complicated by the fact that Gates achieved the monopoly position by his brilliant marketing actions, forming customer addictions, and this led to the emergence of the actual standard for the mass digital industry. On Microsoft MS-DOS and Windows platforms, personal computers rapidly developed for twenty years. It is difficult for everyone, and associates and competitors, to really believe that a new era, an era of open systems, into which will not be able to enter the stereotypes of the past not only politicians, but also businessmen.

Radio "Freedom", the program "Seventh Continent". Our program will be completed by Vadim Alekseev as a selection of Internet news.

Alekseev

The dynamics of modern life often does not leave time for reading newspapers, watching TV, and the radio is often listened to in the car only as a background. In addition to this, the flow of information in traditional media is focused on the middle layman, and in order to get information on a particular topic, you often have to process mountains of completely superfluous, only clogging their heads. We are already somehow used to the fact that it is easy to cope with such problems with the help of the Internet. So it is here: all the problems just listed can be solved using electronic publications supplied by e -mail. The fact that this service becomes more and more popular says the following fact: the number of subscribers of one of the largest Infobeat Internet companies this month exceeded 3 million. The company was founded in 1995 by John Fanku called Mercury Mail. Infobeat is currently the world's largest supplier of e -mail publications. Subscribers of the information supplied by him have the opportunity to choose messages from such sections as news, weather, sports, exchanges and securities markets, entertainment, and so on. Moreover, in each section there is an opportunity to make an individual news report for itself, for example, news from the field of the Internet, weather in its region and so on. The staff of the company located in Danver consists of a hundred highly qualified engineers, technicians and editors. The news service by e-mail or, in another way, the electronic information ballot was first launched by the company in the 96th year. This ballot on topics, as I said, makes himself a subscriber. And all this is completely free. Infobeat costs by placing sponsors advertising in its electronic publication. I must note that such a news service is organized on the Russian -speaking Internet. Infoart, which has existed for a year and a half, sends newsletters to several tens of thousands of users. In addition, Infoart carries out online broadcasting, offering users daily news of the news, video reports about various events and press conference, as well as organizing broadcasting meetings and discussions from their own studio. Returning to Infobeat, it should be noted that here in the month the Internet broadcasting began: Infobeat Radio earned, the truth is not informational, but musical. Thus, Infobeat Music subscribers were able to listen to the radio station that broadcasts music interested in each specific user. Moreover, Infobeat Music, together with the new Mongomusic company, will offer its listeners a new station every day, so that they probably did not bother the listeners very much. And of course, Infobeat could not pass by the approaching Olympic Games. Already now, each user can form his own profile to cover the events that will take place in Sydney. Moreover, Infobeat will also inform about how preparations for this Olympiad are taking place. To create the final picture, I will add that the electronic bulletin comes out twice a day and the user can choose any of the issues. In conclusion, I note once again that Infobeat is the world's largest information service that distributes information exclusively on the Internet, at the same time, our Russian counterpart, Infoart, is considered one of the largest information centers in Europe on the Internet.

The Spanish company Terra Networks SA acquired shares of the famous VEB portal and the Lycos corporation in the amount of $ 12.5 billion. This means, according to InternetNews.com, that there will be a new global Internet group with a market volume of about $ 22 billion. It will become the third largest, while losing only to the two largest companies operating on the Internet - this is American Online and Yahoo. With this approval, the Faynenshial Times also agrees.

This transaction, nevertheless, was not a surprise, but was the result of Terra Networks long-standing desire to be a global Internet corporation, about which for several weeks and negotiations with Lycos were held. As a result, one of the most visited Web sites with a telecommunications giant, the largest telephone company Telefonica, which is a parent company for Terra Networks, joined. Telefonica has a large market segment in Latin America. In addition, Terra and Lycos have concluded an agreement for 5 years with Bertelsmann AG, which will provide customers with a new joint venture, which, incidentally, will be called Terra Lycos, direct access to a huge storage of books, music, television programs and films owned by this German company. Bertelsmann pledged to pay for advertising and another service the amount equal to about one billion dollars. It seems that “the game is worth the candle”, since the monthly number of visitors to the Lycos network, excluding repeated visits, is estimated at 33 million people, and these are only users of Europe and Asia. 46 million users are registered on the network, and in 25 countries Lycos has local content.

The history of Lycos began in June 1995, when it appeared as a search site designed to help people look for information in the World Wide Web in a simpler and fastest way. Already in May 1997, Lycos began its march in Europe. It was then that the first agreement was concluded with the already mentioned Bertelsmann AG company, thanks to which local portals focused on the culture and traditions of a country, as well as its language, opened in 11 countries almost immediately in 11 countries. And in February 98, Lycos acquires Tripod Corporation, thus becoming a communal-oriented company taking into account the interests of various social groups of society. Over the past two years, Lycos has formed a huge network, which also includes such leading Internet sites as MailCity, Hotbot, WiredNews, Sonique and a number of others. By today, Lycos is the most powerful Internet portal offering the user almost exhausting the list of services and “heine” services: personified news reports, chats, e-mail, online store, various interest clubs and much more.

What are the consequences of creating a new company? It is worth emphasizing once again the most important thing: the appearance of the third largest Internet portal. I’ll try to make an assumption that in the near future the company will squeeze the current leaders in the market. Most of the experts also agree that the agreement on the creation of a new company required some compromises from the parties, while each of them has a certain acquisition: Lycos is a Spanish -speaking content, and Terra is English -speaking; Lycos got the opportunity to enter the audience in Latin America and Spain, and Terra, in turn, expanded its borders to the Spanish-language population of North America. "Wall Street Jornal" wrote: "It seems that Terra decided that it was not enough to be an ally -speaking leader in the English -language Internet." But whoever does not write, let's hope that the described event will primarily bring benefits to users of the World Wide Web.

Корпорация "Оракл" недавно официально представила свой новый программный продукт. Он позволяет пользователям Интернета хранить информацию, которую они размещают обычно на винчестере своего компьютера, на определенном сайте во всемирной паутине. Суть действия программы состоит в следующем. На компьютере создается прообраз файловой системы, которую программа создает на удаленном сервере, перекачивая файлы с винчестера. Как только информация перенесена на так называемый компанией "Оракл" "о-драйв", она становится частью сформированной на сервере базы данных, по которой с помощью все той же программы можно производить быстрый поиск. Глава исполнительного комитета корпорации "Оракл" отметил создание вышеописанной Интернет файловой системы как один из наиболее значительных вызовов лидерству компании "Майкрософт" в Интернет индустрии, и чуть ли не первый с тех пор, как "Netscape" произвел значительные преобразования в своем браузере, сообщает INFOBEAT.

Совсем недавно мы говорили о тех возможностях, которые предоставляет своим пользователям один из популярных музыкальных сайтов MP3.com. Тем временем вокруг его деятельности развернулся достаточно большой скандал, связанный с вопросом соблюдения авторских прав. Дискуссии по этому вопросу в судах различной инстанции привели к тому, что оператор этого сайта, находящегося, в Сан-Диего, вынужден был частично его закрыть, хотя он и не был согласен с решением суда. Были отключены те функции сервера, которые позволяли пользователям сохранять на своем компьютере записи в цифровом формате, произведенные основными звукозаписывающими компаниями. Эти ограничения функционирования сервера будут действовать до тех пор, пока в суде не будет вынесено определенного решения по действию закона об авторских правах в данной ситуации. MP3.com так же не сидит сложа руки, а ведет переговоры с различными звукозаписывающими компаниями, с целью возобновить свою деятельность в полном объеме. По словам авторов сайта, их услугами пользовались около 500 тысяч подписчиков.

Интернет может пополнить список, куда уже входят маргарин, кофеин, различные травы и так далее. What is the similarity? - заинтересуетесь вы. Дело в том, что некоторые исследования называют выше перечисленные вещи очень вредными для человека. Другие же исследования, напротив, убеждают вас в обратном, называя их ни больше, ни меньше чем полезными для здоровья. Так что Всемирной паутине в этом перечне самое место. Тем более, что совсем недавно были опубликованы результаты очередных исследований Интернета, проведенных исследовательскими центрами Pew Internet и American Life Project в Вашингтоне. Пользователи Интернета не становятся изолированными людьми в социальном смысле. Фактически все происходит даже наоборот: семейные связи крепнут, да и дружба интернетчиков становится прочнее. Такой вывод основан на следующих цифрах: 72 процента из более 3,5 тысяч взрослых пользователей сети, принимавших участие в исследовании, посещали своих родственников или друзей накануне опроса; в тоже самое время среди респондентов, не пользующихся Интернетом, таковых набралось всего 61 процент. Кстати, саму группу интернетчиков можно уже смело называть семьей или, как минимум, коллективом друзей, заключают исследователи.

Однако мы не стали бы помещать Интернет в один список с маргарином, если бы не другое исследование, опубликованное еще в феврале. Его проводили Станфордский университет и Свободный университет в Берлине. Вот их вывод: "Человек, проводящий много времени во Всемирной паутине, становится отшельником".

"Нью-Йорк Таймс" оказалась единственной из всех, кто опубликовал результаты исследований, потратившей чуть больше места, чтобы сравнить и сопоставить их. Итак, исследование Pew (назовем первое исследование так для краткости) при отборе людей для опроса базировалось лишь на принадлежности того или иного человека к Интернет-сообществу, в Станфорде же при отборе респондентов сфокусировались на том, сколько времени человек уделяет тому или иному виду деятельности в день.

Некоторые издания при обсуждении итогов последнего исследования радостно отмечали такие факты: за последние 6 месяцев более 9-ти миллионов женщин стали пользователями Интернета; а в компьютерные игры оказываются тоже чаще играют женщины, нежели мужчины (37 против 32-х процентов); покупки же в виртуальных магазинах наоборот чаще совершают мужчины (их 80 процентов, таких женщин всего 67 процентов).

Вот о чем бы точно следовало бы подумать, на мой взгляд, так это насколько данные результаты можно считать положительными. И как замечает Пэг Уоллас в Standard.com: "Не являются ли данные результаты призывом к проведению нового исследования?"

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