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Well, to be technically correct, the US operates as a republic, where we
have representatives make decisions for us, rather than making them
ourselves.
In instances where direct democracy rules, such as with state and local
initiatives and in the town meetings where I grew up, the majority rules
only insofar as they operate within the law and the Constitution.
But the majority chooses often for bread and circuses, or based on their
fears or prejudices, or in thier own self interests (not necessarily a bad
thing, but it must be balanced with the good of society). And the majority
often removes both choice and rights, which must be restored by the
legislature or the courts.
For example, the majority in the US used to say that people of African
descent could be bought and sold and owned. The majority in the US used to
say that women could not vote. The majority in the US now says, based on
their fears and prejudices, that I cannot marry the person I love, denying
me the rights afforded a married couple and maintaining that my love is not
equal.
A system of checks and balances is as important to a free market as it is to
a free society. When that system of checks and balances is attenuated
because of a company's market dominance, that market becomes unfair.
Intuit lost a lot of its market share when it put product activation into
TurboTax. Because consumers had a reasonable and competent choice, they
could switch. Such an equal choice isn't available in markets for other
software.
Meanwhile, Intuit apologized publicly for what they inflicted on the people
who spent their hard-earned money only to be treated so cavalierly.
How much choice do you have? I walked into my current job and the choice I
had was to use RoboHelp. Period. No matter that it would be useful to
produce a PDF that contains links, we're using RoboHelp here. Enough
companies have been sold on the product, there is inertia in the market, and
now it's difficult--and expensive--to switch. Where's the choice?
Finally, in case you haven't realized, Microsoft has been found on more than
one occasion to be not playing by the "rules of the game." I'd be careful
before holding them up as an example of appropriateness.
Chuck Martin
<jenny_berger -at- fairfieldresidential -dot- com> wrote in message news:216551 -at- techwr-l -dot- -dot- -dot-
>
> Actually it's quite American -- by all accounts, the US operates as a
> democracy (roughly), which means the majority rules. Microsoft (among
> others) constitutes a majority where it concerns their products;
> therefore, they make the rules of their game. As a number of others have
> suggested, if you don't agree to their rules, then don't play their game.
> Simply because you're in the market for a particular game doesn't mean
> that you have to play what seems to be the only game in town.
>
> To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
> cc:
> Subject: Re: Microsoft Activation ... UGH
> >
> > if it isn't about theft or piracy, then what *is* it about?
> >
> It's about the default assumption that anyone with a copy of the product
> is
> a thief or a pirate until proven otherwise.
>
> Sort of a fundamentally un-American philosophy.
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