Screaming Penguin - Source Does Matter

Todays big story on almost every tech news site is the Microsoft DOJ game. Microsoft claims (in court at least) that Linux is a real threat and that serious competition from Linux should disprove the monopoly case.Linux is only serious competition because of the GNU model, the FSF, the GPL and Open Source itself. For that reason no one can compete with it, its not a company.However, I dont think it should be considered as par competition for Microsoft by a court in a monopoly trial. In other words, it is competition, but Linux itself is not a profit corporation that competes with Microsoft, that is what a monopoly is about. Everything Microsoft can hit with the three E's, they hit. Embrace, Embellish and Eradicate, that is what a monopoly trial is about. I know the DOJ case is a lot more complicated than this simple analogy, buy guilty or not, Linux should not be a factor. The competitors are other commercial software companies, not a movement. Another shrewd yet appaling manuever by the infamous M$. Hopefully the Linux movement, which has been so popular partly because of Microsofts poor reputation for product stability and support, will not be a factor in a DOJ case about behemoth corporations. This should not be Microsofts scape goat. How ironic that on one hand it is "no real threat" and on the other hand, if it can help us in court, "it is serious competition." Microsoft, Pick one and suffer with either.On that same note, check this Register story: a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/990604-000009.html">Linux Outsells Win98. What? Outsells, its free isnt it? Anyway, market share is shifting to the better product, users will connect the dots themsleves.