Does the DoJ prefer a Microsoft monopoly?

Is it a coincidence that the US government has negotiated a slap-on-the-wrist "remedy" following the ruling that Microsoft abused its monopoly power? I think the reasons go beyond Microsoft's well-spent lobbying dollars or PR campaigns. A Microsoft monopoly is in the interest of law enforcement agencies who only recently were reportedly seeking Microsoft's cooperation in electronic surveillance.



Am I suggesting that Microsoft and the DoJ struck some back-room deal? Naturally, I have no evidence of that, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me. Whatever legal or political obstacles there are to government initiatives like Carnivore, as Lawrence Lessig points out in "Code and other Laws of Cyberspace," business interests will continue to play an important role.



Wouldn't it be convenient to have access to the Microsoft Passport database and attendant data if you were in law enforcement? Why bother spending tax dollars to finance a database that Microsoft and its users will pay for?



Why are many users marching happy towards Windows XP, Passport, and Hailstorm? Why not? They offer a brave new world of ease of use and interoperability. And despite occasional complaints, what webmaster wouldn't prefer to support only one vendor's browser?



Although Microsoft isn't a natural monopoly in the classic economic sense, it is a natural monopoly in the topology of cyberspace. Microsoft is the path of least resistance for government, users, and administrators alike. Microsoft may have many faults, but they make a lot of things easier too. And most users are willing to trade that convenience for privacy, security, etc.



So what are the risks? Like any monoculture, an all-Microsoft world is vulnerable to viral and other attacks. Certainly, the terrorists have shown enough sophistication to use encryption, and launching cyberattacks is relatively trivial. I suspect that terrorists also know how to install Linux, blunting the likelihood that the ability to surveil Windows users will enahance national security. So what have we wrought? In the name of unfettered business "innovation" and national security, we're marching towards a centralization of information and power that has never been enjoyed by any government, much less a private corporation.



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Is Hailstorm's ubiquity and dominance inevitable? Will Sun, IBM, or anyone user advocacy group slow it down?