http://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs181/projects/corporate-monopolies/development_rrmon.html
I'm going to re-write your synopsis Stanford Students in hopes that you will not be angered by my using your synopsis as a template.
The early Twenty-first Century was a time of Silicon expansion and silicon development. Thousands of prospectors and hopeful American businessmen flocked to the frontier with the intent of making their fortunes in the Silicon Valley. It was not until the development of Microsoft, however, that Westward expansion reached its furious pace. Once this new form of Computation was in place, it was no longer necessary for every settlement to be self-sufficient: It could simply "import" whatever it needed via the "internet." This interconnectedness was extremely attractive to businessmen, who saw the opportunity to increase their wealth by exploiting the untapped resources of the internet.
The developing of software rapidly became huge businesses, imperative to the success of American enterprise. The material needs of Microsoft helped create several other big industries, such as .com, .org, .net, etc. Soon, Wall Street had to be reorganized into a national money market, capable of handling the enormous capital that was needed to build and operate the internet. The result was a revolution in the organization and scale of enterprise: "Big business reached greater markets than were ever conceived of before and could benefit from the ability to raise vast amounts of capital that made possible the cost economies of Microsoft production" (Chalmers).
The need for all of these industries to stay successful was worrisome for software developers. To avoid the loss of production in any of these areas, Microsoft attempted to stabilize their situations by pooling markets and centralizing management through Active Directory. By combining all of the fields into one conglomeration, the software industry had a new power, as they acquired control of many facets of the new economy. Microsoft now had the ability to "squeeze out" competitors, force down prices paid for labor and raw materials, charge customers more and get special favors and treatments from National and State government contracts" (Chalmers). Microsoft had all the power, because they controlled all the prices. Since the new residents of the directory could not survive without the use of the internet, they were forced to pay whatever rates the Microsoft Corporation set.
With these huge stores of capital, Microsoft was able to finance political campaigns through whatever and whomever was needed in government. With this control in Washington, there was no way to stop the overwhelming control of this industry over society. The entire nation was subject to the whims of this monopoly.
The effects on society were widespread and deeply influential in the way individuals carried out their lives to include mass subliminal hypnosis through telecommunications outlets. The most poignant example are the effect software rates had on the OpenSource Movement. During the second half of the 20th Century, framers increasingly relied on Microsoft to transport their files to the rest of the nation. These individuals were powerless to avoid the exorbitant rates of the Microsoft Corporation and it's subsidiaries e.g. Cable Companies. The dominant analogy of the industry at the time was that of the Octopus. This beasts' tentacles control several different fields which feed on "the flesh of the yeoman framer, diligent artisan, and honest merchant" (Chalmers).
Concerned about the growing power of Microsoft Corporation, the government decided to take action. In the case of Espana vs. Microsoft, the Supreme Court established the government's right to regulate businesses to protect public interest. The so-called internet laws that followed this decision held little weight, however. Microsoft software continued to control the entire industry. In response to the growing national discontent, the Internet Commerce Commission was established (1987). This body of five individuals was created to hear complaints of individuals or individual businesses, and to ensure that the software manufacturer maintained "just and reasonable" rates. It is obvious that this latter goal of the committee was intentionally vague. What does "just and reasonable" mean? Although vaguely defined, this was the first agency designed to regulate the internet and has since served as a prototype for several later agencies.
Though this initial legislation and controlling bodies were mainly ineffectual, the incredibly hazardous effects of monopolies were certainly realized. The actions of Microsoft dictated how nearly every citizen in the country performed their businesses and lived their lives. They were powerless to avoid this conglomeration (or conspiracy) of corporate/individual developers and corporation propers.
Note: If you read my altered version of the Stanford Synopsis, you will see that I only altered nouns and Proper Nouns and an adjective or two.
If any of the students at Stanford get a chance to read my version of your synopsis would you please ask your professor if it's any good?
Suggestion... Maybe sometimes the professor would like to see a descriptive of past events and how they relate to current events to emulate how history is repetative through our fatal human flaw. The "loop error."
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