I like Microsoft

I get tired of people who bash Microsoft just because they're big. It seems like there are a lot of people who will criticize anything they do just because it's Microsoft. But I like Microsoft fof one reason, they make good software. No, it's not usually perfect, and yes it has plenty of problems. But everytime I hear some hype about something that's supposed to be better than any Microsoft product, I try it out and invariably return to the Microsoft product, because it just works better. Not always, but most of the time. I like that my Operating System and my Browser and my email program, etc. can all work together, and have similar functionality. Most recently, I tries Firefox amid all the hype, and just wasn't impressed. I wanted to like it, but it just didn't do everything IE does, and too often I had to use two browsers, so I just switched back to IE and I only use one, and it works fine. A few years ago, I tried a different Office Suite, and it just wasn't as good as Office. Sure Office is a big bloated mess, but it does what I need it to do, and it's not hard to figure out how to do what I need.

Anyway, having said that, I'm not happy with Microsoft for withdrawing their support from this gay rights bill in Washington. I don't see any good reason to do it, and I think they're wrong for doing it, especially if they just bowed to pressure from religous wingnuts. I think everyone should let Microsoft know how they feel about it, and hopefully they can be shown that their decision was the wrong one, no matter what the reason for it was. However, what I can't understand is the venom I've seen directed at Microsoft for this mistake. Not that I don't think it's important, but it seems that Microsoft is taking the entire blame for the thing failing, and I don't think that's fair. It seems from what I've read that it would have passed with Microsoft's support, so that is definitely reason to be angry. But it wasn't just Microsoft that didn't support the bill. And apparently, they weren't against the bill, either. There were 49 votes and 25 went against the bill. Were all those votes because of Microsoft? Somehow, I doubt it. The posts I've seen about this make it looke like Microsoft is a company full of bigots who just can't wait to strike down any gay rights legislation they come across, which doesn't really seem to be the case. And in any case, they don't have the power to pass legislation, and the responsibility for this bill failing ultimately lies with the Washington State Senate.

While I understand being upset with Microsoft's reversal, especially as it was apparently the result of pressure from homophobes, what I don't understand is the hatred and venom and anti-Microsoft sentiment that I have seen in the last couple of days. It seems entirely out of proportion with what happened, at least as I see it.