[ale] Microsoft "Gift" to Alma Mater

[Jeff Hubbs]

I've recently learned that three fellow alumni of my high school
(www.mccallie.org) who are now Microsoft employees have made a gift of
MS software to the school.  See
http://www.mccallie.org/news/summer2003/Summer2003.pdf, page 3 for the
story.

I know full well that such "gifts" are somewhat less than that because
they cost Microsoft nothing (in fact, it seems the only people who lost
money are the alumni and it went to Microsoft, not the school) and I
have my suspicions that the actual agreement winds up restricting the
school's use of the software and may in fact restrict the use of 8any
other* software.  

If I do write, I don't want to shovel up a bunch of insinuations and
FUD.  Rather, I really only want to give them information as a concerned
alumnus and make the case that this "gift" is nothing of the kind.  I do
want to work in that the school's "Honor, Truth, Duty" is not in keeping
with Microsoft's business practices especially as it pertains to this
gifting program.  I also want to point out that MS is dropping support
on its desktop OSses after less than five years
(http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1410081,00.asp), setting a
precedent for all current and future MS products.

I'd be interested in hearing how some of you would respond.

By the way, this is where I first encountered computers.  I worked
extensively on the DG Nova 2 and 3 minicomputers described in the
article on pp. 1 and 2 and two of the three alumni featured were
contemporaries and/or friends of mine.  

- Jeff