The mediator handling the negotiations between Microsoft and the plaintiffs in the antitrust case has given up, which probably means that we’ll see Judge Jackson’s verdict this Friday. The judge urged the litigants to settle, but it looks like that wasn’t going to happen, probably because of the 19 states participating in the suit. Microsoft, the DOJ and all 19 states had to approve any settlement agreement, and let’s face it, it’s hard to get 21 parties in any negotiation to agree on anything. At this point, I wish that the states hadn’t joined the suit at all.