When I heard about Microsoft's Hailstorm I became alarmed about the future of the Internet.
Hailstorm is part of Microsoft's .Net program, which conforms to their "computing anytime, anywhere" strategy. Hailstorm will store consumer personal data - address books, calendars, credit card numbers - in a "schema" that may be accessed only by websites certified by Hailstorm (Microsoft). Every time a consumer makes a purchase from a certified website, his or her data are automatically transferred. Furthermore, since Hailstorm and certified stores have your information, they may notify you of events you are interested in, such as:
- New books
- New music CDs
- Movies
Microsoft, thus plans to be your banker, not for money, but for something more valuable: your personal data. Not only do they plan to be the banker they want to be the ONLY personal-data banker on the Net!
Microsoft's plans have set off alarm bells among privacy activists, as well they should. Can we trust Microsoft to protect our privacy? Of course, not. Can we trust any corporation with such valuable data? No way.
Others worry about security. Microsoft's website has been hacked into. Many of the viruses are geared to Microsoft software. Can you imagine the frenetic activity of hackers if Microsoft possessed this valuable data?
Still others are concerned about government access. Law enforcement will find ways to access this data.
But the biggest problem, from my point of view, is the POWER Hailstorm gives to Microsoft - or any other company that may introduce such a system.
It is interesting to note that since the early days of the Internet, big corporations have been trying to muzzle the Internet so they may have the same kind of control they exercised before through print media, radio and television. They tried PUSH ("We'll provide you with all the news you want when you want it.") Big flop. They tried taking over with advertising. Another big flop. They tried broadcasting, which is winding up to be part of the "walled garden" I wrote about in the last issue of LearnngFOUNT. They will make inroads here, but at least they are taking away only part of the Internet.
Now, however, we see a project to dominate the entire Internet, wired and wireless. Everyone who buys anything must go to a company certified by Microsoft. And these companies can not do anything without the approval of Microsoft.
Chris LeTorq, research director at Gartner Group, says:
"From Microsoft's perspective, the Net is far too much of an egalitarian structure for them to make money. What you are seeing here is Microsoft rewriting the Net to look like Windows."
Hailstorm is a horrendous danger to the Internet as we know it and like it. Don't succumb to Microsoft's propaganda. All they seek is centralized power so they may drive off the Net the small businesses that give the Internet its life and luster.
