How Much Should an OS Vendor Own?
I was reading today about how Linux Mint developers altered the Banshee music player source code to redirect affiliate revenue from Amazon music orders to them instead of Banshee. They've reportedly made less than $4, which has caused a kerfluffle among those paying attention to that corner of the world. But it raises a larger point that has been swirling around for a couple of decades: an OS vendor has a lot of power to influence, and even monetize their user base. Where should they draw the line?Probably the first time this issue really came to the public's attention was after the release of Windows 95 and the rise of the Web. Famously, Netscape looked poised to make Microsoft irrelevant and make the browser the "new desktop." Microsoft used its control of the OS and its tremendous sway over computer makers to foist its browser on the general public, and changed the course of computing history.