I was sitting out on my patio last night, having a couple of cold ones, and a thought occurred to me. This isn't terribly unusual, however, the normal course is for me to totally discard it the next day. This is the exception.

I was considering the "remedy" that the DOJ is going to try to impose on Microsoft. For the sake of completeness here, let's review:

The DOJ wants to break MS into two pieces. Simplisticly, it's Windows/IE in one part; and Visual Studio, Office and so on in another. Further they seek to keep these two entities separate, and unable to work with each other for ten years. Makes sense...

NOT!

This has got to be the stupidist idea I've ever heard and makes me believe that the DOJ and the 19 states don't have idea one as to what they're doing or the implications of it.

Traditionally, software has been grouped into two types: Systems and Applications. In the latter you have your word processors, spreadsheets, and so on. In the former you have your operating systems and development tools. So what the DOJ seeks to, in essence is not only break MS into two pieces, but two pieces that are not even logically defined. The "Wisdom of Solomon" this ain't.

Initially, I had the feeling that such a breakup would be bad for the consumer. Now I'm convinced of it. These people having zero idea what they're doing. The judge's middle name should be "Pinhead" and the rest of this group must be on life support because they're brain dead. Would someone please rent these people a clue?

I do feel better, however, about this. First, because I've gotten it off my chest. Second, because, as flawed sometimes as the American judicial system can be, I can't see this decision not being over turned on appeal.

Of course, this is just my opinion, I could be wrong (but I doubt it).