Comments on: The two sides of Bill Gates

Speaking at the TechNet Innovation Summit, Microsoft co-founder wears both philanthropist and hypercompetitive businessman hats.

[t8]

There were 2 Bill Gates

1) Convicted Monopolist and greedy person;
2) Philanthropist who doesn't pay tax in his charity and tries to make himself look good, against the greedy convicted monopolist image that we know him by.

[Lindy01]

Please dont

breed...your ingnorance should not be passed on.

[J_Satch]

Of course...

...you're right. He should do nothing with his billions, just hoard it. Screw all those people who might otherwise benefit from the Gates Foundation. You're such a jealous loser, it's almost sickening.

[qwerty75]

re

Of course 1 & 2 are related.

No matter how much of his ill-gotten wealth he gives away it won't clean off the scum he is saturated in.

[Lindy01]

Did he

say this "in a specific way" or did news.com just add it to dig on the man.

If you added it you should hand in what ever qualifications you have to write. They guy has the biggest charity ever....as in EVER. He has given more money then ANYONE EVER to help other people.

God why do I come here and read this BS...and then post.....FRAQ!!!!

[Gort224]

Giving something back?

Conext is very important for a story, to be sure. And it's good that a lot of money is leaving Mr. Gates private coffers to help different communities. Where did that money come from in the first place? Is it reasonable to speculate on the methods used to acquire such vast wealth? Maybe we should defer Bill's canonisation until the miracles actually start.

[Microsoft_Facts]

Gates compared to a drug dealer

They both obtain large amounts of cash illegally.
They both give "free samples" to get you hooked, then squeeze you for everything they can.
They both harm society.
They are both convicted criminals, the only difference is Bill paid off the government not to put him in jail which is where he belongs.

[J_Satch]

Microsoft_Fiction

1 - Selling software is perfectly legal.
2 - If people are getting "hooked", it must be powerful/good. I'm playing devil's advocate on this one, but still...
3 - If people are getting "squeezed", how is it they can still afford their new computers and their new software applications and operating systems?
4 - How does the commoditization of computers and software "harm society"?
5 - Show me the conviction. Admittedly, I didn't follow the case too closely so I don't know the specifics of the outcome.
6 - "Paid off the government"? So Bill flew into Dullas, checkbook in hand, went to "the government" and paid it off? Exactly who is "the government" that he paid off and where is your supporting evidence? Did he just set up a table by the Washington monument and have "the government" stand in line to collect their checks? Please explain.

Please don't let your hatred and jealousy blind you so completely. You come across as a sophomoric crusader.

[FutureGuy]

You might also want to call..

..the likes of Warren Buffet, Bill Clinton, Bono etc etc all as drug dealers. Warren donated his entire fortune (a bigger contribution then a few million hypocrites like you would make in their lifetime) to Bill?s foundation. Its said that hate is blinding, I see why.

[FutureGuy]

You might also want to call...

...the likes of Warren Buffet, Bill Clinton, Bono etc etc all as drug dealers. Warren donated his entire fortune (a bigger contribution then a few million hypocrites like you would make in their lifetime) to Bill?s foundation. Its said that hate is blinding, I see why.

[Akiba]

Melodramatic

Convicted criminal? Sounds like your already hooked on something and it must be really good.

[jabbotts]

I stick by what I said before

Bill is a business strategist first and computer person second. His upbringing was filled with competition and strategy board games the way today's kids are raised by the Simpsons.

That strategy based mind bit into the throat of computers "on the ground floor" and didn't let go. The Art of War applied to business as if Sun Zu where on the advisory board.

This isn't the place to re-list M$ questionable but successful practices; we all know them or read them daily from Fanboys.

Consider this.. even if he just walks around third world countries throwing money at problems, people will benifit. Money is Money, that's why we call it; "Money".

Now, if he can take that (screw everybody else out of the industry) business strategy mind and focus it on helping others rather than self gain (meglomeniacly and financially).. People in need will benifit hugely.

remember medical knowlege (not drug company IP) is closer to FOSS; cure a desease and the HOWTO document get's sent out to all the other medical organizations and everybody gains.

[FutureGuy]

The Cult of Open Source

Gates haters are generally from the so called ?Open Source Camp?. You would tend to think that they would generally be made of good people who wish well for world. But every time I read the acute hypocrisy and jealousy portrayed the more I get turned off by this camp, not because the idea isn?t good but proponents are mostly fanatics and cult figures who only aim is to avenge the demise of their outdated systems but trying to pull down Microsoft. Microsoft might have been hypercompetitive, but it?s not the first or the last company to have been fined for crossing the line. Failed companies (like Sun, IBM, Novell) all what to blame MS for their failure to execute, so convenient.
The hateful comments on this site, like those who even compare Bills contribution to that of a drug dealer (how high (on drugs) does one have to be to make such a comment) just shows how blinding hate can be that one can?t even appreciate the good in people. I salute people like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Bill Clinton, Bono etc who try their best to make the world better and I despise those who spend their lives throwing mud at them.

[Penguinisto]

^^The Cult of Astroturf ;)

Man, must not pay too awful well to shill for MSFT these days, does it?

By the by, It ain't Gates that gets the hate - it's a huge number of tactics --many of which have landed MSFT in court w/ a guilty verdict as an illegaly operating monopoly-- that raises ire.

/P

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Don't blame Open Source

The people who actually contribute to Open Source are typically a lot more understanding of how the real world works. Don't let the low IQ zealots who mindlessly repeat every charge they hear and perpetually invent new ones to blame MS or BG for all their ills. Those people have always existed, 75 years ago they'd have worn white sheets and hoods but mindless haters have always existed and probably always will.

[qwerty75]

Gates is no philanthropist

He gives, and excepts something in return.

More sales, better image, tax breaks, etc. A true philanthropist is selfless. Gates is not.

If a bank robber gives half the stolen money to charities, is he a hero? hardly, and Gates is worse then your average bank robber.

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Look up the meaning of philantropist

Meanwhile why don't you tell us what you think Bill Gates is expecting in return for his charitable gifts?

Likewise you claim his money is all stolen which is simply and obviously not true.

[ravijp]

Hatred is amazing

I'm no Bill Gates fanboy. But...

It is just amazing to see people who have probably never donated more than $100 in their entire life to anyone, let alone help others, regardless of the motive behind it, take potshots at Bill Gates.

Start with the person in the mirror. Before you accuse anyone doing legitimate business of stealing money, ask yourself, how much good have you done to the community around you. How many poor or under-privileged people have you helped? How have you contributed to society than being a menace who simply whines and complains about rich people by playing the victim?

C'mon, get a life. Just start by trying to stop being such a loser.

- Ravi Jayagopal
http://www.LinkOverLoad.com

[mgreere]

Those who love Gates forget his history

He is an absolutely ruthless business man, one who leveraged a
monopoly to squeeze nnovative competitors out of the marketplace
and out of business.

The world is not better off for the under-performing products and
the squelching of actual innovation.

The philanthropy is WONDERFUL. It's what he SHOULD be doing. I
hope it lets him sleep better at night.