# Open systems always beat corporate land-grabs (Microsoft/AOL analogy)

- **Speaker:** Unknown
- **Attribution:** uncertain
- **Said:** 2021-11-15
- **Theme:** Cloud Decentralization — https://www.gregosuri.com/predictions/cloud-decentralization/
- **Source:** Priv8 Virtual Privacy Summit 2021: Featuring Glenn Greenwald, Dr. Steven Waterhouse, and more! (Orchid Labs)
- **Watch at:** 04:56:12 — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6eqn72dqzs&t=17772s
- **Canonical:** https://www.gregosuri.com/predictions/cloud-decentralization/2021-11-15-open-systems-always-beat-corporate-land-grabs-micr-q46n/
- **Cite as:** Unknown, "Open systems always beat corporate land-grabs (Microsoft/AOL analogy)," Priv8 Virtual Privacy Summit 2021: Featuring Glenn Greenwald, Dr. Steven Waterhouse, and more! (Orchid Labs), 15 Nov 2021, 04:56:12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6eqn72dqzs&t=17772s

## Quote — verbatim

> This is not the first time a centralized company tried to put claim to an open system. Microsoft in the 90s tried to put claim to internet, AOL tried to put claim by actually developing tools for the internet, but ultimately an open system won. So the composability of open system will ultimately be the winner.

## Context — site annotation, not spoken

On Meta/Microsoft claiming the metaverse; his recurring open-systems-win thesis. Quote begins mid-block after the moderator ("I'm actually very optimistic..."); undiarized captions, but the argument and phrasing match Greg's earlier remarks on the panel ([04:54:48]: "I think Mark introduced the metaverse — best thing that happened to metaverse in a weird way").