Microsoft World 1.0 from the Netly News (and a funny response)

[Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>]

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http://cgi.pathfinder.com/netly/opinion/0,1042,1576,00.html

The Netly News (http://netlynews.com/)
November 13, 1997

Microsoft World 1.0
by Declan McCullagh (declan@well.com)

        If you're Bill Gates, the last place on earth you want to be
   today is 2500 Calvert St., Washington, D.C. That's the address of the
   "Appraising Microsoft" conference, where politicos and high tech
   leaders from around the country are teaming up to take a big swing at
   the richest man in America.

        It would be a slugfest -- if only Gates were around to defend
   himself. Ralph Nader, the conference's organizer, invited him, but
   Gates declined through his lawyers. "It appears that your conference
   will provide a forum for anti-Microsoft pundits and business
   competitors to raise their litany of tired allegations in an attempt
   to manipulate public opinion against our company," wrote attorney
   William Neukom, who is defending Microsoft from antitrust allegations.

        Which is only natural. Everyone Microsoft has ever pissed off
   (and Microsoft has pissed off a lot of people) seems to be here today.
   Who would pass up a chance to flame the Boy Billionaire -- especially
   when there's safety in numbers?

[...]

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Date: Thu, 13 Nov 1997 14:27:41 -0500
To: declan@pathfinder.com
From: Steve Kremer <steve@jokewallpaper.com>
Subject: Ralph Nader's Computer?

I enjoyed your story about the conference.  When I first heard about it I
had a question to ask Ralph for my monthly humor newsletter...So I called
his office.  Here's the item..

Have Fun,
Steve Kremer

JAMES SPADER, DARTH VADER, RALPH NADER. WHICH OF THESE THREE
OWN A COMPUTER??

In the month of November you will be hearing a lot about a media event called
the "Appraising Microsoft Conference" held in Washington, D.C. and hosted
by consumer gadfly Ralph Nader.  If you visit their Web site at:

http://www.essential.org/appraising/microsoft/

you can read about their plans to discuss Microsoft. They profess
high intentions of seriously discussing Microsoft's influence on the future,
but it looks to me like a "trash Microsoft festival".  Not that
Microsoft doesn't deserve to be trashed, but I thought the Nader folks
and their "conference" was utterly transparent.  I began to wonder...just
how much does Ralph Nader know about computers and the World Wide Web.  On
their
Web site they list their phone number and the name of their media contact
Caroline Jonah.  Armed with my trusty Sony integrated phone/recorder I gave
her a
call.  Below is a transcript of a portion of our conversation.

Steve Kremer:
"Do you happen to know what computer system Ralph Nader uses.
Is he a Windows or Mac guy?"

Caroline Jonah:
"Umm, I don't think, let me think, he doesn't even have a computer
in his office to tell you the truth."

Steve Kremer:
"Oh really, he isn't one of those laptop toting people?

Caroline Jonah:
"In our office we have both, we use both, yeah."

Steve Kremer:
"O.K., so Mr. Nader doesn't even have a computer?"

Caroline Jonah:
"We have both in our office, so he can use either one, so. But in his
office, I don't think he even has one in his office."

I asked if she had actually ever seen Ralph using a computer and she said
I would have to talk to him directly. She promised that she would have Mr.
Nader give me a call later that day.  He never called.

So when you read the inevitable story coming out of Washington D.C. in the
middle of the month about Consumer Crusader Ralph Nader taking Microsoft
to task, remember it's being headlined by someone who has probably never had
their hand on a mouse except maybe to take a dead one out of an
OSHA approved trap.