""Look, I know it's hard to believe, but you've got to listen.
I'm not just some nut case. I used to have a very responsible PR
job at Microsoft. I was called SpinLikeaTopSpreadLikeaPlague. They
didn't let me keep the namne when I left."
""Ok," I say. I'm dying to dunk my donut, but Dale has a small
arsenal and I don't want to die to dunk my donut. "Would you please
tell me what the heck you're talking about?"
""Just this: Today's economy depends on computers and computers
depend on software. No software, no economy, no innovation.
Microsoft's the biggest name in software. They've done pretty well
over the years, but now they're in danger." He holds out his hand.
In his plam, a single paper clip.
"What's this in my hand and what is it doing"
""It's a paper clip," I say, " and it's doing diddly. So
what?"
""Exactly. Before Microsoft, paper clips were boring little
pieces of wire. They held paper. Microsoft made them talk, took
your mind off the crappy help documentation. Microsoft drives
software innovation and they spend a lot of money doing it. Now
these InNOTvators are coming in and giving away their software for
free. How do you compete with that? And what about DeCSS? What
about Napster? Don't you see? It's all part of their plan to
dominate the world."
