[CLUE-Talk] Walmart selling mandrake systems

[Matt Gushee]

On Wed, Jun 19, 2002 at 09:40:41PM -0600, Sean LeBlanc wrote:

> > A prediction: Microsoft's OS monopoly is on its way out.
> > 
> > I was just reading about network externalities and how they fuel rapid
[snip]
> 
> Is this similar to what Gates (and others) call a positive (or negative)
> feedback loop? Sounds like "The Road Ahead" has some potholes in it! ;)

Positive.
              +------+               +------+
              |  ++  |<--------------|---+  |
              |      |               |   |  |
              |  |   |               |      |
              |  +---|-------------->|  ++  |
              +------+               +------+

Negative feedback is more like a thermostat.

And Bill Gates coined those phrases just like he invented DOS. NOT!

> Do enough people know what Passport is for it to gain acceptance? I have to
> say that I *still* don't understand what it encompasses, but I guess I've

Basically it's an online identity management system, I b'lieve. Lets you
access lots of services with a single login. And if you're paranoid--and
why shouldn't you be?--you might suspect it's a very nice way for
Microsoft and friends to collect data on you.

-- 
Matt Gushee
Englewood, Colorado, USA
mgushee at havenrock.com
http://www.havenrock.com/