March 2, 2005 6:11 AM PST

Queen taps Gates for knighthood

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For Gates, a knight to be remembered

January 26, 2004

Microsoft's chairman receives a British honor that dates back to 1917. Just don't call him "sir."
Photos: Gates receives knighthood

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58 comments

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The Queen...
... ought to put that sword to better use than a light 'yap' ;-)

Anyhow, he's made enough money to buy any honor he wants. I
just wish he actually was as noble in real life as chivalry might
expect of a knight.
Posted by Earl Benser (4342 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Hahah
I'm sure there are better places the Queen can put that sword.

Part of me wonders if this knighting was part of a Microsoft contract with Buckingham Palace lol "Sure, we'll give Buckingham Palace Windows XP for free, only if the Queen knights me!"
Posted by Anomoly9 (61 comments )
Link Flag
Hope to arrive before the flood
Before hundreds of persons, all on their rights, come here to badmouth Bill Gates and the Queen, I think he deserves this honour and many others. He is a billionaire, he's also changed the world in many ways. Many hate his products but use it everyday (some don't even use them legally). Many of everday improvements in life exist because of the use of Windows Operating System. I'm not against money or being a millionaire, I don't oppose paid software; programmers deserve their pay. I also don't oppose open source but don't believe that to be a panacea. Long Live the Queen! Long Live (unfortunately not Sir) Bill Gates! Abajo Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez!
Posted by gcasanova (3 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Gates knighthood, whatever
I believe it goes to show that money can buy you anything. It would have been nice if Gates had invented or even pioneered any of the software he's taking bows for. I think Xerox PARC, Gary Kildall and Marc Andreessen deserve a knighthood much more than Gates.
Posted by Damienkeith (2 comments )
Link Flag
ms technology is the problem
"(Gates) is one of the most important business leaders of his
age," he said. "Microsoft technology has transformed business
practices, and his company has had a profound impact on the
British economy."

Sure, their technology has changed business practices'; just no-
one knew that m$ technology would more often BE the problem
instead of helping solve problems- also the fact that it would be
expensive for this privilege.
Posted by (12 comments )
Reply Link Flag
You know nothing, nothing at all
You're probably too young to remember the days of $10,000 personal computers and the fact that even then the cost of software was at least as much as the hardware and normally twice to three times as much.

You have no clue how much you owe to MS for helping to bring those costs down.
Posted by aabcdefghij987654321 (1722 comments )
Link Flag
House o' Lards
The Brits are now stunned that Gates turned to implementing a marketing strategy that prevents future honorary knighthoods, preferring to "embrace and extend" his hold on the House of Lards. At least he brings his own money.
Posted by HansinYabutay (31 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Sad day for the Crown
A Knighthood once stood for something: Honour over wealth, putting the Defence of The Realm before personal gain. Now its given to the likes of Gates, people who only serve themselves.

How very far the Empire has fallen. I do not feel pride today, in being British.
Posted by Marcus Westrup (481 comments )
Link Flag
Disgusting Responses
Shameful responses. The queen honors a man for his work and his charitable donations, and the only thing you people can do is *****. No wonder, none of you will ever achieve anywhere near the recognition, or contribute anywhere near the good. What a bunch of children.
Posted by David Arbogast (1712 comments )
Reply Link Flag
reply
"none of you will ever achieve anywhere near the recognition, or contribute anywhere near the good. What a bunch of children."

None of us will ever achieve anywhere near the notorious infamy, or contribute anywhere near as much to the deaths of millions.

Somehow Im not feeling very jealous of him.

And if hes the kind of guy that modern day knights are made of then its a sad day indeed for Britain.

Yet again David you have proven that ignorance is bliss.

Considering one of the defining attributes of a child is their ignorance of the world, then I believe people like yourself who live with their heads in the sand much more accurately fit the description.
Posted by Fray9 (547 comments )
Link Flag
They're Welfare Recipients!
We poke fun and the English royals because they're a pathetic lot of welfare recipients. None of our Presidents were Nazi sympathizers, and none as blitheringly stupid as the royal consort-dummy, Prince Phil.
Posted by HansinYabutay (31 comments )
Link Flag
MS Software is a Benchmark
Admit it you can't give/sell Linux on the negative points of you windows/competitor, don't say use Linux because windows to bad, but say use Linux because is the best (its not). If you go to a firebox site they say use firebox because IE is bad, if you go to Linux site they say use Linux because windows is bad.

In other words they are trying to say that our solutions are better than Microsoft, for them, MS is a benchmark for quality. The reason windows is used so much used today because MS said its best and they have made it, rather than crying that we are better than u.

To understand Microsoft you need to be a software developer, and then only to know how much work they have done.
Posted by (128 comments )
Reply Link Flag
Die
Die die die, die stallman, linux, open source, and their pigs developers.
Posted by (128 comments )
Link Flag
A benchmark?
The producer worlds most bloated, buggiest, insecure software in the world is a benchmark.

yeah, on the low end.
Posted by Bill Dautrive (1180 comments )
Link Flag
WHAT? a demotion!
The Emperor of software being demoted to knighthood?
Posted by qazwiz (208 comments )
Reply Link Flag
British Empire is Going Down
Well, who cares if Mr. Gates or that bad mouth Mr. John has some royal names on it? I will never call him Sir John or Sir Gates, LMHO :)
Posted by 201293546946733175101343322673 (722 comments )
Reply Link Flag
did she ever activated a licence?
I gues not
but she speaks the truth:
microsoft indeed changed bussines practices
Posted by (5 comments )
Reply Link Flag
 

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