Steve Ballmer concluded that: “diversity in the workplace is such an important issue for our business that it should be included in our legislative agenda....Accordingly, Microsoft will continue to join other leading companies in supporting federal legislation that would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation – adding sexual orientation to the existing law that already covers race, sex, national origin, religion, age and disability. Given the importance of diversity to our business, it is appropriate for the company to endorse legislation that prohibits employment discrimination on all of these grounds.”

a) Bravo for Microsoft.

b) The one thing that most impresses me about Microsoft is their ability to recognize mistakes and reverse course. The most stunning technical example, of course, was the Internet turn-around of 96-97, but this is comparable. This decision is not going to be painless for Redmond -- they will get grief from the well-organized and vocal hate-mongers (I wish I could draw, because I could get dozens of cartoons from the prospect of evangelical and Linux zealots attempting top band together).

c) Ctl-A, Ctl-Delete on a column that I'd just finished...