Is it possible to gain understanding towards certain matter a few years late? I am not sure how knowledge works for people, but I think I am quite a slow learner. I need to understand how everything works before I absorb certain information into my brain. I guess my brain is pretty selective in storing infos.

I come to realize that as of late, I started to understand more about physics and it’s theories 8 years after I left school, when I’m no longer required to understand the theories. It is amazing how human brain works…it’s really a wonder. I failed physics for my SPM examination. Yes, FAILED. Because I could not understand the formula and how the theories ought to be applied in real life.

But amazingly…. 8 years later, I could grasps on the concept…one quite a few physics theories… such as Newton Law, Momentum, Inertia, Quantum Physics and many more. I come to wonder…if my brain is taking me into a different direction by allowing me to finally understand and work on the theories correctly? Is this what they call wisdom? If it’s not wisdom, then what exactly do you call this? The ability to grasps on certain knowledge and relate it to real life?

God, my father would really be proud of me if I told him I finally understand certain concept in physics and actually get the calculation right. Is it because now I exercise my brain more than before, it made my brain more active then when I was studying? Is that how our brain actually works? In order to really use your brain and gain understanding, you need to continuously exercise it and give it constant stimulation?

Anyway, ditch physics and my questions. What I want to talk about today is…understanding and coming to term with certain matters after a few years. You see, when I was a little girl… I read a lot of classics. Authors like Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and many more are on my regular read. No… I did not read the children version of their stories. I read the unabridged version instead, and more often than not, I struggled to understand the entire thing. I believe, my mind wasn’t sharpened enough and I lack experience to totally understand what the books are trying to deliver.

Same goes with movies. You see… my husband is a rather technical person… while I am the direct opposite. I am the creative person in the household.Like any other typical man, my husband tend to gravitate to watch movies that revolves around…technology and science. I don’t quite watch science fiction unless I could relate it in real life. And instead of being fascinated about certain things like other people do… I showed my interest and understanding through writing them down instead.

As of late, I realized that I am really quite a slow learner. I understood one movie in particular about 6 years late. The movie in question is ‘Antitrust’.

Antitrust is actually a movie targeted to people who believed in that human knowledge belongs to all and people who supports Open Source. In order for people to understand what this movie is really about and what message it’s trying to send across, one would have to understand Open Source concept, and Microsoft antitrust case that has been quite a hit in commercial court all over the world back then.

Initially, Antitrust is about Milo Hoffman. The story stars off with him working with his three friends at their new software development company known as Skullbocks. Things started to gets murky when  Milo Hoffman is contacted by CEO Gary Winston of NURV (Never Underestimate Radical Vision) for a very attractive programming position: a fat paycheck, an almost-unrestrained working environment. Milo accepted Winston’s offer and he and his girlfriend, Alice Poulson, move to NURV headquarters in Portland, Oregon.

Despite development of the flagship product (Synapse, a worldwide media distribution network) being well on schedule, Hoffman soon becomes suspicious of the excellent source code Winston personally provides to him, seemingly when needed most, while refusing to divulge the code’s origin.

After his best friend, Teddy Chin, is murdered, Hoffman discovers that NURV is stealing the code they need from programmers around the world — including Teddy Chin — and then killing them to cover their tracks. Hoffman learns that not only does NURV employ an extensive surveillance system to observe and steal code, the company has infiltrated the law and most of the mainstream media. Even his girlfriend is a spy, an ex-con hired by the company to manipulate him into doing their deeds.

While searching through a secret NURV database containing surveillance dossiers on employees, he finds that the company has information of a very personal nature about a friend and co-worker, Lisa Calighan. When he reveals to her that the company has this information, she agrees to help him expose NURV’s crimes to the world. Coordinating with one of Hoffman’s friends from his old startup, they plan to use a local cable access station to hijack Synapse and broadcast their charges against NURV to the world. However, Lisa Calighan turns out to be a double agent, foils Hoffman’s plan, and turns him over to Winston.

Hoffman had already confronted Poulson and convinced her to side with him against Winston and NURV. When it became clear that Hoffman had not succeeded, a backup plan is put into motion by Poulson, the fourth member of Skullbocks, and the incorruptible internal security firm hired by NURV. As Winston prepares to kill Hoffman, the second team successfully usurps one of NURV’s own work centers, “Building 21” and transmits the incriminating evidence as well as the Synapse code. Winston and his entourage are publicly arrested for their crimes. After parting ways with the redeemed Poulson, Hoffman rejoins Skullbocks.

Okay… after re-watching this show almost 7 years after I first watched it, it is no longer a nonsense movie that could put me to sleep. I could now understand what the movie is all about, after being an Open Source supporter myself. What the characters did in the story is also no longer gibberish to me, and much to my amusement, Antitrust actually have loads of message to tell, and honestly…this movie… is pro-Open Source and rather anti Microsoft.

It is amazing how Antitrust seems to send you to a paralell world of Internet and software development technology and the dirty tricks that comes with it. What amaze me is that the movie itself gives allusion that the antagonist in the movie is Bill Gates of Microsoft himself. I’m really surprised that they are not subjected to libel.

Anyway, I learned a lot from this movie too… albeit a few years late. This is what learned:

• Knowledge is power, but it could also destroy and corrupt.
• Never ever try to dominate the business world in a dirty way, or one day, it might backfire.
• Behind a good software, there’s always good programmers, and one should not just stick at one brand in regards to technology. If there’s good and free software out there that could benefit you, consider using it instead of the expensive proprietary.
• One should not be extreme… it doesn’t matter if you support Microsoft or Open Source, as long as you open your mind to everything, there’s limitless possibility.
• Human knowledge belongs to the world and not just one person.
• Always anticipate the move of your opponent. Life is like playing a game of chess. One must anticipate the opponent’s move, or one will loose.
• Sometimes, even your loved ones can be your enemy, so beware… don’t trust anyone but yourself 100%.
• Always have a backup plan.
• Things are not always what they seems to be.
• And last but not least… what seems to be harmless, cute and pretty childish on the outside, may hold many dark secrets and could possible be the cause of destruction inside. (Referring to the servers in NURV that contains CCTV surveillance of programmers all around the world… it was disguised as children’s PC in a daycare in NURV)

This movie… is something to WOW for. But only if you understood how Microsoft, Open Source and Programming world works in reality. Thumbs up for Antitrust. Here’s the trailer for Antitrust:

And if you’re wondering where you can watch Antitrust, the entire movie… You can watch it HERE

Cleffairy: The Internet should be public, open and accessible.