[Gllug] Bill Gates To Leave Microsoft

[Mike Brodbelt]

On Sat, 2006-06-17 at 08:18 +0100, Richard Jones wrote:

> tactics (DR-DOS).  In any case the hardware would still have been a
> commodity, with likely interoperable operating systems running on top.

Could be, but we might just as easily have seen commoditisation at the
hardware level, but incompatible operating systems and application
software.

> > There's a good possibility that the work done by the Gates foundation
> > will save the lives of thousands in developing countries, and it may
> > also contribute towards a cure for malaria and other diseases, many of
> > which have received little attention for a long time due to the
> > demographic they affect.
> 
> As I said - great!
> 
> But is this better than the alternative?  Imagine it this way: Let's
> say that Microsoft didn't happen, and instead we've got cheap
> commodity PCs (hardware AND software).

There's an interesting debate to be had there. My current take on is is
that given Microsoft did happen, I think what Gates is currently doing
is a good thing. What I'm not saying is that this is an excuse for
Microsoft's actions - it isn't, and if we could rewrite history without
Microsoft in it things would be very different.

>   Now somehow the US govt has
> persuaded everyone that it would be a good idea to collect, worldwide,
> a tax of say 100 pounds a year from every PC.  After collecting this
> tax in an investment account for 20 years, it wasn't really doing
> anything with it,

...so it decided to fund a nice war to test the last 20 years of weapons
development....

Sorry, but I don't believe the (current) US govt. to be wise custodians
of wealth.

> Eventually the US govt is shamed[2] into
> giving about a third of the money to charity.  It'll still keep the
> other two thirds, for now, in the bank account.  Probably give it to
> charity in the future, might not.
> 
> Would that be a plan you'd support?

Aside from my view of the likelihood of other less desirable actions,
yes.

> > I think that whatever one may think of Bill Gates and Microsoft,
> > it's difficult to refute that he's doing real good with the
> > foundation these days. [...]
> 
> I think the particularly scary thing is that Bill Gates has actually
> succeeded in coming over as some great historical person.  Read the
> comments here and weep:

It is truly sad that people can be so easily misled by PR. From reading
that thread you'd think he should be up there with Mother Theresa.
Comments like "if every rich man had the same conscience he has the
world would be a much better place" reveal a level of ignorance of
history that's just terrifying. 

Mike

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