Yesterday I ran across an article that I found quite interesting if you're into the OS (Operating System) Wars. OSNews is running a story about an interview with a couple of Harvard professors using formal economic modelling to predict a result of the competition between Linux and MS Windows.

Pankaj Ghemawat and Ramon Casadesus-Masanell are very thorough in their academic analysis of the competitive dynamics involved. The interview is an enlightening read and brought up many points that I would have never considered - not surprising considering my limited grasp of economics. An interesting concept put forward in the interview is the theory that piracy could benefit Microsoft by expanding it's installed base and, at the same time displacing the installed base of Linux. Ubiquity being the key factor here.

Numerous variables are considered with their economic modelling and the results are intriguing to say the least. FUD (Fear, uncertainty, and doubt) is considered as a variable and the final result is an eye-opener. Overall a very interesting interview and well worth the five or ten minutes it takes to give the story a read.

Anyhow..., that's what you get on a slow news day!

Check back regularly, no telling what little nugget of gnarled knowledge or whimsical wisdom you're going to unearth here but it could be a 'Linux nugget', they leave skid marks in the shorts of Microsoft executives.

Hasta La L8r Señor MS Zealot