The week in your words: Microsoft snub, file sharing and PC mugs

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Posted on 15 Feb 2008 at 16:48

In a week that saw Microsoft brushed off by Yahoo, the government have a serious think about file sharing, and a designer put a PC in a coffee cup, we take a look back at what our readers have made of it all.

Official: Yahoo rebuffs Microsoft's offer
This week Yahoo decided even Steve Ballmer standing beneath its balcony in his Sunday best wasn't going to turn its head, as it rejected Microsoft's $44 billion engagement ring. Intriguingly, it was the timing of the bid, rather than the rejection, which set forum tongues wagging.

"Don't you think it's worth noticing that Microsoft announced it publicly after Bill left the firm?" says stasi47 who's clearly not noticed that Bill still has his slippers under the desk until the summer. "I wonder whether it had to do with his lack of support for the hostile takeover?"

"I would imagine that this is down to Steve Ballmer wanting to prove something," says Amnesia10. "For years he has been riding on Bill Gates' shirt tails and this is really his first opportunity to do something in his own name."

Not that he thinks it's actually going to work.

"I still wouldn't think Microsoft have the necessary touch to make this bid a success. I would have thought that breaking up Yahoo would be better. Widgets and Flickr going to Google, and the internet search and mail to Microsoft."

Call us cynical, but we rather suspect things aren't going to be that cordial.

Government readies net-ban legislation for file sharers
Also in the news this week was a leaked proposal from the government hinting it was ready to legislate on illegal file-sharing by introducing a three strikes and you're kicked off the internet scheme. Disbelief swiftly followed from our forums.

"Is there nothing these bullies won't interfere with?" wonders onegin101. "Seems like a very expensive way to get the file sharers to find a new ways of distributing files."

pkubecka was equally flummoxed.

"Nanny society at its best! And the measures are so easy to circumvent. Are they just trying to drive the whole thing underground into encrypted tunnels where they'd have no means of monitoring it?"

krisjones2 didn't think so. Ten series of the X-Files has taught him not to take anything at face value.

"I don't think this will ever happen. The story originates from a leak about the contents of a Green Paper, which suggests to me that someone wants this proposal included in the paper but that others working on the policy have sincere doubts about its inclusion."

"Even if it does emerge as a proposal in a Green Paper, it may just be a way of giving the perceived problem a public airing so that when legislation is eventually brought forward, the government can say it had it a proposal that was rejected in consultation and hence they will not legislate on the matter."

The PC you'd have to be a real mug to buy
This week also brought us the fantastically pointless PC built in a coffee cup. Paulzolo seemed to take the entire idea rather personally.

"Is this truly necessary?" he asked, somewhat redundantly. "Surely we need time and a space where we aren't bombarded by information all the time. So what if I have an email? It can wait until I'm good and ready to deal with it. I don't need a cup to tell me that it's there."