Bill Gates on the future of journalism and more

As promised, I've posted a pretty complete transcript of my interview on Tuesday with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.

As noted earlier, some of his most interesting comments dealt with Yahoo as well as the natural interface options that are planned for Windows 7.

But I was also intrigued by some of his other answers, including something that hits close to home--the future of journalism.

"I hope that readers will be willing to pay subscriptions or watch ads or things that will keep the high quality and breadth of journalism alive and (make it) even better than it is today," Gates said. "In some ways, we have better journalism today... (With) in-depth, certain kinds of journalism...there's still a question of how that gets funded."

And if you really can't get enough, you can watch my video interview or listen to Wednesday's podcast, in which I discuss Gates' speech with News.com's Charlie Cooper. Then you should really get outside, get some fresh air. It's a beautiful day (well, at least here in San Francisco).

[ferretboy88]

Bill Gates should of asked

Why a man is dressed up like a woman and interviewing me. After I read the wiki on the person I found out that he is now a she. How wonderful.

[coryschulz]

uhh...

Haven't we reached a point yet where we can judge people on the content of their character and not on how they decide to manage their personal lives? It's called freedom and free will. To properly preserve freedom and ensure free will it is important to respect the choices other people make. The articles I've read by this journalist have always been a good read for me. No complaints here. Keep up the good work!

[Sumatra-Bosch]

Hilarious, twisted irony . . .

No company has benefitted more from poor industrial journalism than Microsoft with the exception of maybe Enron. It's not a good comparison though because to make sense of what made Enron interesting required a forensic accountant to appreciate.

Microsoft's clear market manipulation and trade restraint through its control of the boot loader by way its contracts with the PC manufacturers is clear and well known to everyone in the PC manufacturing space. The Boot Loader Issue should be in the second paragraph of every story about the company and it's never ever mentioned.

If a real journalist ever got hold of that thread and started weaving the obvious narrative (one company has leveraged a questionable licensing scheme into a global monopoly that has crippled the advance of computing) Gates would have a different attitude about maintaining the quality of journalism.

RSB

[nuckelhedd]

Actually

The way it is is perfectly fine for him and the rest of the "Global Elite" who strive to dumb us down and slowly mold the populace into subservient consumer machines. Watch ENDGAME on Google folks for an accurate account of what has happened and more importantly what IS happening right now. You may find yourself wondering where the rest of the REAL journalists really are.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1070329053600562261&q=endgame&total=3447&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

[JCPayne]

Looks like Bill can't live without Yahooo....

He sleeps, eats and breathes Yahoo now.... Hey why not quit your lack luster company and join Yahoo Gates!

[dascha1]

Coming to a Classroom Lecture Near You..

Or at least the whiteboard in his office:

Microsoft chairman reflects on what course technology will take
http://www.news.com/1606-2-6214022.html (video)

"... In the coming years, the conference table will be a computer,
the whiteboard will be a computer, says Microsoft Chairman Bill
Gates. He sits down with CNET News.com's Ina Fried to discuss
what he sees as the future of tech."