Dumping on Microsoft, good times

But as our 11th and 12th most popular posts of the year demonstrate the real key to success lies in casting Microsoft as the villain.

It's also best if you're specific, and on top of the news.

Take this May post on Microsoft patent claims, which drew 205 talkbacks. I illustrated it with a still from a musical troupe in Allentown, Penn. performing The Emperor's New Clothes, and the point was that bowing before a mere claim is silly.

Claims, not just of patents but of how they are germane to a competitor's offerings, must be proven in court. Which takes time and money. Microsoft has both, which is why competitors steer clear, giving even false claims power.

I sometimes think of Microsoft as the Richard Nixon of open source. It has no evil intent, but the hatred of its enemies can cause it to lash out.

Thus I found a picture of Hillary Clinton, whom I've compared elsewhere to Nixon, on my March post examining Microsoft-hatred. It drew 149 talkbacks, and 39 of you voted on it, most negatively.

My criticism here was of Microsoft's attempts to have it both ways, to attack yet be seen as the victim, which I found Clintonesque, even Nixonesque.

I'm not sure what to make of the negative reaction. Did y'all just disagree with the comparison, were you saying Microsoft should not be a target of abuse, or was it the Hillary picture?

Either way, if you really want to get a conversation going here, Obama is not "the one" as Oprah so famously called him.

Nixon's the one. And Microsoft is open source's Nixon.

Oh, one more fun fact to know and tell. Bill Gates is still younger than Nixon was when he was elected President. But not for much longer.