I was actually the last person at Sun Microsystems/JavaSoft to speak in a civil tone to Microsoft before big Java lawsuit. This was before the Apple/Microsoft lawsuit, but it laid the foundation for it.

Basically, my job was to test every implementation of Java to make sure that it complied, 100%, with the spec.

Companies submitted their code to me, I ran a suite of tests against their code, and any functions which didn't return the right data were flagged, and the implementation was deemed non-compliant. The company then had to go away and fix their problems and resubmit to us for testing again.

Microsoft knew there were three specific function calls in the JavaVM that would destroy Windows. These three calls were what would allow application portability across any platform. Write a Java app on one computer, and run it literally ANYWHERE. Computers. Set-top boxes. Dumb terminals. Anywhere.

Over a series of months, MS submitted their JavaVM to me many times, as they made progress. There would be a list of 20 failures, let's say, and they would submit a new release that fixed 17 of those, and introduced a couple new bugs. They'd fix the bugs, submit again, and all but three tests would clear.

EVERYONE knew what was going on. Me. My boss. My contact at Microsoft. But we all played the game and pretended everything would be fine.

Then Microsoft released Internet Explorer with Java. And the same day they submitted their final JavaVM for approval to me. It failed those three tests. (We all knew it would.)

So I sat in a conference room on a conference call with my guy at Microsoft. We had become friends, because we were techies, and enjoyed working together, and had a good relationship.

I said, "So Russ, I tested the last implementation, and it is still failing these three tests."

Russ: "Yeah, I know."

Me: "I also noticed that Microsoft released their Java-compatible version of Internet Explorer today, and it isn't compatible. It fails those tests. And you are using our "Java Compatible" logo, in contravention of the contract you signed."

Russ: "Yeah, I know. I'd like to introduce you to our chief legal counsel, ____________."

Me: "Hi __________. I'd like to introduce you to Sun Microsystems' chief legal counsel, ________."

Russ: "It's been nice working with you."

Me: "You too, my friend."

And then the 12 lawyers in the room asked me to leave.

Microsoft continued shipping their disabled version of Java, all while taking out ads saying how compatible and amazing it was. So people would take their Java app and try to run it on their Windows box, and ... hey! It doesn't work!

Microsoft would scratch their head, and feign ignorance, and deflect, and say, "Well, geez. Looks like Java really isn't very good at all!"

Then, about 3 months later, they completely re-engineered their implementation of the JavaVM, added about 30 Windows-only calls that couldn't work on any other platform. They documented these calls just like they were standard "Java-approved" calls, and then played dumb when people called and said their app wouldn't run on any other Java-equipped platform.

Within 6 months, Microsoft had destroyed the promise of Java, and then funded the development of "JavaScript", which was copyright infringement, and completely unrelated to Java, but their marketing machine was huge, and the confusion they sewed in the industry destroyed the promise of Java.

So Apple took them to court for monopolistic practices.

And I became disenchanted with the tech industry, left the country, and went to work for a newspaper in Eastern Europe.

So yeah... fuck Microsoft.