Recently, we reported on LibreOffice, accusing Microsoft of intentionally using complex file formats as a tactic to lock in users to Microsoft Office, hindering open source alternatives like LibreOffice. Now, Microsoft has banned LibreOffice developer, Mike Kaganski, from using its services, citing an “activity that violates [its] Services Agreement”.
According to Mike, this happened last Monday when he tried to send a technical email to the LibreOffice dev mailing list, which is a normal part of his routine, but Thunderbird returned an error saying the message couldn’t be sent. His account was blocked upon retry, and he found himself completely logged out of his Microsoft account…
“Fuck with a company” ??
Developing a perfectly legal competing product should not constitute “fucking with a company” and the very fact that it seemingly does is the problem here.
For it not to become perceived as “fucking with a company” competition should be normal, and it’s normal when the winning side is often enough the new competitor. In other words, if there were a few companies making office suites, compatible between each other, and none of them would hold hegemony.
Because what’s perceived is defined by what those holding power think. When they change often through competition, they hail competition. When they are the same companies for 30 years, then they would publicly flog and hang you for it if they could.
Similar to how in Linux 2.2 days some functionality lacking or some anarchist spirit were normal, and now Linux is almost authoritarian as a community. Because it’s the main thing in its niche.
Or how Apple Computer was a good company when they were competing with Microsoft and others for normal personal computer market, and became crap after they’ve achieved long hegemony for the luxury segment.
Even Microsoft itself - when they feared some competition, it was W2K and XP, and when they stopped, it was the rest since.
People don’t really believe in things they don’t experience. Others’ dignity/freedom/safety is important for a human when their own depends on it.