RE: [LUG] How to boycott Microsoft/MSN search

["Julian Hall" <linux@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-list@xxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf
> Of Peter Butterfield
> Sent: 09 July 2004 23:52
> To: list@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [LUG] How to boycott Microsoft/MSN search

> This is a mantra. The evidence shows that competition doesn't
> lead to better
> productivity, achievement, or learning compared with cooperation
> - even with
> business. For example, wouldn't it be better if the whole of the software
> community was like the open source version where people help to produce
> better solutions?

My favourite example of "competition" is when the USA spent $2 billion
developing a pen for astronauts.  It could write underwater, upside down, in
a vacuum, it was marvellous.

The Russians used a pencil.

1-0 to Russian common sense.

Whether competition works as a device to further developments in any field
depends on the competitors.  You could say "Necessity is the Mother of
Invention" and therefore the necessity to win WWII brought on a lot of
advances.  However (irrespective of personal beliefs regarding their
methods - this is purely a scientific issue), in some fields the Germans
were ahead (rocket science for example) and they lost.  Science itself as a
subject won all round as many advances were made in a very short period of
time.

However the US wasting their time over-engineering the solution to an
essentially simple product.  Does that advance anything?  Conversely does
the Russian use of a pencil advance anything?  I would have to say No to
both, the Americans wasted effort while the Russians wasted the opportunity
for advancement.  The co-operation of both would though.  American money
linked to the Russian no-nonsense "let's make it simple because THAT works!"
approach would IMHO advance any project they co-operated on a lot faster.

1-0 to co-operation over competition.

So in a rather long-winded way (apologies for that) I agree with you Peter.

Kind regards,

Julian
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