Despite the initially muddled reports coming out of a Microsoft legal office in Reno, Nevada last week, Governor Kenny Guinn confirmed the fact that someone tried to infect Microsoft employees in his state with a biological weapon. Only about a month after the evil attacks by radical Muslim terrorists on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the Reno, NV offices of Microsoft Licensing received an envelope containing pornographic magazine clippings that looked moist (Please, no lowbrow ÒMan ShowÓ-type jokes. This is serious). After three rounds of testing, the suspicious package was proclaimed as infected with a strain of anthrax, the naturally occurring bacterium that has favorable properties for use in biological weapons.

Although all six employees exposed tested negative for anthrax, Microsoft now joins the prestigious list of symbolic American entities attacked by terrorism. By disrupting Microsoft employees with an envelope of anthrax-crusted porno, the tech-heavy NASDAQ will plummet to new lows. Radicals and leftists, who view themselves as either more intellectual or righteous than their victims, torment the stupid and godless with twisted symbolism. It is no coincidence that bin LadenÕs thugs captured planes from American and United Airlines to fly into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center towers. There is no doubt that the attempts at anthrax infection at the New York Times, NBC and tabloid publisher American Media, Inc. are also symbolic of what they see as AmericaÕs trusted media outlets (of course, as a faithful reader, you obviously recognize that the worldÕs trusted media outlet is the World Tribune.com ). Microsoft is a very visible symbol of American wealth around the world. This makes Microsoft and Bill Gates perfect symbols for violent leftists like bin Laden and his zombie followers to strike, right?

Symbolism is the key to the attack on MicrosoftÕs offices in Reno. Microsoft is taking heat for their so-called ÒbullyingÓ and Òmonopolistic tacticsÓ by those whose software have no hopes of achieving the same popularity of Microsoft Windows or Office. Current Microsoft software products are licensed (you donÕt truly ÒownÓ software when you buy it, you just agree to the ÒlicenseÓ that says it is illegal to copy the MS-Office CD you bought, install it on your computer rather than pirate a million copies of the CD to resell or give away to friends and strangers) to individuals or corporations indefinitely. This meant that many of MicrosoftÕs customers could buy licenses for Windows 95 in 1996 and never upgrade ever again. If nobody upgrades to Windows 98, Microsoft is without repeat customers, the very foundation of American capitalism. The new licensing plan, treats Microsoft software as a service similar to electricity or water for your house, you pay only for what you use when you use it. With the new Microsoft licensing plan, broadly called ÒMicrosoft .NETÓ, customers would be upgraded to the most current software as needed via the Internet. Those customers who buy the new plan and stop paying will be Òcut off,Ó just like when you hook up the electricity in your new house donÕt pay your electric bill after a couple of months. Consumers get the latest and greatest software on demand, Microsoft gets their repeat business and software piracy would (in theory) be greatly reduced since Microsoft will track software usage.

MicrosoftÕs detractors, from well-funded competitors like Sun Microsystems and AOL to the cult-like fringe of open source/free software fanatics, all have claimed that MicrosoftÕs newest licensing scheme is nothing short of evil. Sun Microsystems, AOL and Red Hat Linux have all raised their voices in shrill condemnation of Microsoft of this new scheme to bleed software consumers for more money with no real benefit. Free software cult leader Richard Stallman complained in the summer about how ÒMicrosoft is preparing to do something dirty: They are tying services to programsÓ with .NET, calling it a dangerous affront to security and civil liberties while simultaneously trumpeting free software .NET rip-offs like Mono and DotGNU. Sun Microsystems , AOL and Red Hat Linux derided MicrosoftÕs .NET strategy as something that consumers would never agree to because of the pay-for-play service aspect. Of course, it was Sun Microsystems who pioneered the Liberty Alliance Project, Java, Jxta (pronounced ÒJUX-taÓ) and other Internet-only software technologies that are strikingly similar to .NET. AOLÕs entire ISP business is built on a pay-for-play connection to the Internet via their proprietary software. Red Hat Linux recently posted a meager profit earlier in the year after instituting software that ran a subscription-based network support service via the Internet. To Sun, AOL and Red Hat, itÕs okay if they offer software as a service, but if Microsoft does the same thing they are evil.

How does Malaysia fit into this? Microsoft is considered a target of opportunity for pirates and hackers around the world. Activist hackers and open source cultists have pushed for legislation in France, China and other socialist countries in an attempt to bar Microsoft products in those nations. Although the Malaysian government is not a supporter of such legislation, Malaysian hackers and pirates will be directly affected by MicrosoftÕs new licensing plan because of the subscription-based license. If the new Windows software is sent via the Internet rather than on a CD, the immensely profitable Malaysian software piracy trade will suffer. Remember, it was not the Redmond, Washington main office of Microsoft that was sent the anthrax-infected package. Someone sent anthrax-dipped porn to the Microsoft Licensing offices in Reno, NV. Without getting too graphic here, would anyone be surprised to find out that the pornographic magazine clip had something like: ÒYouÕve been doing this to us for too long. LetÕs see how you like it,Ó scrawled somewhere on it? ThatÕs the symbolism these radicals were hoping for.

The Malaysian people and their leaders are not to blame for this, but it is undeniable that the anthrax sent to Microsoft Licensing in Reno, NV was sent from Malaysia. It is not the Malaysian people, but that nationÕs criminal hackers and pirates that are likely suspects in the Microsoft anthrax attack. Such criminals are not just found in Malaysia ø they could have been from Switzerland, Brazil or even San Francisco, California. These Malaysian-based terrorist hackers are but thieves and thugs who perpetrate crimes symbolic of their righteous indignation. With the help of the Malaysian government, the US investigators will introduce these criminals to something they have long spoke of yet never understood: real justice.

Scott McCollum is an independent consultant and tech industry insider living in Austin, Texas. He is a contributing editor for World Tribune.com and his column will be featured in WorldTechTribune, a new publication by WorldTribune.com, which will be coming soon. His opinions have also been featured at Pure Politics, the NewsFactor Network and on the internationally syndicated Cyber-Line radio talk show.

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