Great Nerd Reading #4

I've been saying since this whole Microsoft court case started up that the best punishment for the company (along with a freakin' huge fine) would be to simply have the government perform a complete audit and, wherever possible, replace Windows machines with some other OS -- could be Mac, or not, doesn't matter -- that best meets the needs of that worker/dept/goal. Once the government wants something done a certain way, even Microsoft will have to bow to the demands of that market.

This move would not only result in enormous tax savings (do you have any idea how much $$ is lost to viruses and security problems in gov't computers each year, to say nothing of MS's onerous licensing scams?) due to a vastly more efficient government, but would create the very competition Microsoft so effectively suppressed in the OS market -- companies would scramble to develop a more secure OS for those depts that need security above everything, others might develop OSes that are specifically tailored to certain needs/mindsets (for example, military or education or infrastructure planning), there's all kinds of potential industries there. Apple and Sun and Red Hat and all the rest would have to prove their worth, and even Microsoft would be allowed to compete (after a period of time, say five to 10 years) on a fair and level playing field (for a change). If nothing else, our government would be forced to look into the dark abyss of sole-source reliance and realise that not only is this a bad idea, but that avoiding it reaps benefits for all sectors.

So now, Ralph Nader comes out with a very similar proposal, but instead of just linking you to the text of his (my) suggestion, I offer you added entertainment value by also linking to the Slashdot debate on his (my) idea. For both of you who don't know, Slashdot.org is a major nerd website, a news site for high-brains, wizard-suits and other such dorky outcasts. Covering everything from anime to privacy rights, Slashdot does an amazing job of living up their motto: "News for Nerds. Stuff That Matters." If you'd like to wade into the upper end of the gene pool, go and have a surf.