prepare to be assimilated

i was adding this as an addendum to the microsoft "dirty tricks" entry, but the article is really interesting:

microsoft is indeed the source of the $12Mil payment to opera:

http://news.com.com/Microsoft+behind+%2412+million+payment+to+Opera/2100-1032_3-5218163.html

in addition, the article discusses a wave of other settlements, which actually seems like microsoft making some very wise moves: namely, paying off it's detractors and competitors, and setting up cooperative deals with them instead, deals that expand the windows product.... and place their most vocal enemies firmly in their camp, as their futures become tied to the franchise they abhor.