Comment of the Day - November 22, 2005 - Writing Editors About Microsoft

Other people to try are managing editors, like:
[e-mail:mfancher@seattletimes.com] -- Michael Fancher, boss of the Seattle times

Since reporters on the tech beats tend to be so unquestioning of the Microsoft party line, pitch it as a political story to higher-up editors:

'Dear Mr. Fancher,

I believe that tech reporters are missing the real Microsoft stories. Microsoft has been busily transferring its notoriously heavy-handed tactics to the political arena, in addition to having a multi-billion dollar war chest to buy influence. The current story is their heavy-handed attack on the State of Massachusett's attempt to mandate that all public documents be stored in open document formats, so that they are available to all citizens, and easily archived for the long-term in formats that will not become obsolete and unreadable.

"Microsoft has thrown the big guns into opposing this, even to the point of pressuring the governor to re-organize the entire state government, and conning disability advocacy groups into opposing ODF. Which, by the way, is to their detriment. (See the links below for more information.)



"I would very much like to see tech reporters start exhibiting some healthy skepticism, and really doing some reporting, instead of unquestioningly reporting whatever Microsoft tells them. This is no ordinary company- their dirty deeds are legion and unending, yet they are continually given a pass in the mainstream news media.

"Thank you, and I hope to see your usual high standards applied to these stories.

"best regards, "

"Microsoft Whines About MA's Decision to Support OpenDocument"
[HYPERLINK@www.groklaw.net]



"Massachusetts: The ODF Battle Gets Ugly"
[HYPERLINK@www.groklaw.net]

"Linux News: Does Microsoft's Monopoly Power Extend to Government and Media?"
[HYPERLINK@lxer.com]