“Capitalism is under fire as vendors leverage free software to
get an advantage over the competition. Microsoft dealt a nearly
fatal blow to Netscape by giving away Internet Explorer and
bundling it with Windows. Hardware vendors are using Linux and
FreeBSD to increase their razor-thin profit margins, but this
undermines sales of all versions of Windows as a result. Sun is
attempting to undercut sales of Microsoft Office with its free
StarOffice and upcoming StarPortal.”
“How can profit-hungry software vendors survive in this new
market, let alone maintain inflated stock prices? I believe I have
an answer. My plan is for software vendors to give away all their
wares and make up for the loss by selling insurance. All they have
to do is keep the software proprietary and leverage the benefits of
the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act…”
“The best way to illustrate how this works is through a sample
sales pitch. Imagine being paid a visit by a rather large fellow
(about the size of a minivan) in a dark suit with a white
tie…”