Bill Gates bashing

[mosrite]

My second rant of the day...

Im fed up of people dissing Bill Gates and even more fed up with the folk that then proceed to big up Steve Jobs.

Bill Gates has done an enourmous ammount of good with his billions of dollars pouring money into research foundations and recently spearheading the war against malaria (donating almost $200 million so far).

The only difference between Bill Gates and Steve Jobs is that Jobs has marketed his image as the down to earth Californian very successfully while Gates has not. Oh yeah and another difference being the huge sums of money Bill Gates donates to charity. Anyone who thinks Steve Jobs is the down to earth Californian that his image suggests is deluding him/herself. I like to call him the "corporate hippy."

discuss!

[rickrock305]

to his credit, Gates does do a LOT of good by donating tons of money.

[joeq]

Big story in today's news about a huge new security hole in Microsoft Windows. This one apparently lets your computer be vunerable to web sites and emails that you merely LOOK AT.

This is the real reason why people trash Bill Gates- to take out their frustrations with computers in general and his operating system in particular. Given Windows' virtual monopoly status, it is a sport- like hating the phone company used to be, or hating the government still is.

The fact that Windows really IS full of bugs, holes, crashes and kludges doesn't help.

God bless him, Gates has probably given away more money than Steve Jobs's net worth, so there is no competition possible there. (Though it might be interesting to find out what _percentage of total income each person has donated....)

There is also the issue of how Bill Gates made his money. There is nothing 'nice guy' about any successful businessman, but Microsoft has long been famous for their extremely ruthless approach to destroying the competition. As the head of that company, Gates takes the hit to his own personal image as well.

[mosrite]

But shouldnt we really be pissed off with the people who create the viruses/worms etc in the first place? Im not saying microsoft doesnt have an obligation to protect its users but if the assholes who created the problems didnt exist in the first place then there would be no problem. Kind of like blaming the locksmith for the robber breaking in.

Ive never had my work pc online, I wouldnt risk it. In my experience the bugs you refer to are almost solely reserved for online use (at least in the case of XP service pack 2 that I use). I think its a stable platform otherwise. I can only go on the experience of myself and others Ive witnessed but Ive had very little trouble with XP itself. Any problems with (offline) PCs I reckon tend to be more down to crappy chipsets, drivers and lack of user knowledge.

I wonder if Macs were hammered with targeted attacks online as much as PCs how well the Mac OS would hold up. I guess we'll never know.

Business is business and I bet Steve Jobs is just as ruthless. We dont hear about it though as his company and subsequent global impact is significantly smaller. AND I reckon he has a great image promotion team behind him (whereas Bill Gates evidently doesnt!).

[doorknocker]

Bill Gates is to Steve Jobs what Paul Mc Cartney was to John Lennon, at least in the public's perception.

[brucegel]

I called up the head of the bill gates foundation about a year and a half ago and asked him this question....I first commended the fact that hundreds of millions were being spent to save childrens lives in Africa and then asked now that there are all these additional lives saved who's going to house them,feed them,school them, train them,job them.His answer was "We haven't thought through it that far yet" An honest but completely un holistic and dangerously shortsighted answer.I told him those saved youngsters could still die of famine and aids, and he acknowledged that truth.So there is a possibly greater problem looming around the bend that no ones money can fix and in fact may exacerbate the problem.Overpopulation is the number one enemy of the third world.Adding more lives to its citizenry through anti malarial drugs seems good but what of the future?Be very careful what you get behind folks.

[AcousTronic]

Originally Posted by mosrite

... and another difference being the huge sums of money Bill Gates donates to charity. Anyone who thinks Steve Jobs is the down to earth Californian that his image suggests is deluding him/herself. I like to call him the "corporate hippy."

I couldn't give a crap about what kind of people they are. Mac is a more stable and better platform, period. As for the charity works, anyone with Bill's kind of money really should "give back", but don't tell me that it truly makes him a better person cause it also saves him millions on tax day!!

[cdog]

Originally Posted by AcousTronic

Mac is a more stable and better platform, period.

Ahah, I see we have a fountain of objective facts a-spouting.

Grab a fact before it closes - or be forever subjegated to subjectivity!

[AcousTronic]

Originally Posted by cdog

Ahah, I see we have a fountain of objective facts a-spouting.

Grab a fact before it closes - or be forever subjegated to subjectivity!

LOL, I knew someone would call me on my throwing that in there... Didn't want to hijack this thread with why, BUT anyone who's used a Mac lately, should know what I mean... OK, back to Gates vs Jobs as pillars in the community.

[joeq]

Originally Posted by mosrite

Kind of like blaming the locksmith for the robber breaking in.

More like blaming the builder of your house for forgetting to put doors in the door openings!

[Bob Olhsson]

I wouldn't buy a used car from either one of them!

[mosrite]

Im not going to get drawn into the usual Mac vs PC debate, thats not what I intended with this BUT it is a subjective issue. My Thinkpad hasnt crashed since getting it 2 years ago but a friends Acer laptop has constant problems. A brand new Powerbook I was sessioning with using Logic recently crashed a dozen times during the session but a G4 my video editing buddy uses has been very stable. I think in all cases third party software, user knowledge and external hardware devices were primarily responsible for either the stability or unstability of the systems involved, not the OS.

I couldn't give a crap about what kind of people they are.

I dont care too much about what kind of people they are either except when one of them is, in my view, unfairly represented as some hideous corporate monster and the other some down to earth all around nice guy.

Overpopulation is the number one enemy of the third world.Adding more lives to its citizenry through anti malarial drugs seems good but what of the future?

This must contain the most dubious sentiment Ive ever read on Gearslutz. Anyone who thinks that ridding the world of malaria is in any way negative has no idea of the disease and its devastation. And anyone who believes we should let others die from something us in the privileged west could help cure as a form of population control is standing in very dodgy territory. Maybe we should just nuke 'em all eh?

I wouldn't buy a used car from either one of them!

Very true! Although the one Jobs sells you might look a lot prettier but will cost you twice the price (sorry couldnt resist that one!)

[brucegel]

their needs to be a far more comprehensive approach than LET ME PAY FOR ALL THE DRUGS PLEASE.

[joeq]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

I wouldn't buy a used car from either one of them!

but you probably _did_ buy a computer (or a least an OS) from one of them!

[brucegel]

The poor kids should not have been born in the first place .There is no adequate way to provide them with a future worth living unless they leave their country which they can't afford to do.And now we are "saving" millions more with our western medicine.The term carrying capacity is a very real thing and WE HAVE MESSED WITH IT BIG TIME.Again I state where is the food for the children and the housing and the schooling and the jobs going to come from?Just being born doesn't cut it.Their own govts could care less and have proven it a thousand times.I suppose we could wait for a civil war which would wipe out all the kids who didn't die of malaria some time in the future.Theirs a NINE HUNDRED POUND GORILLA in our living rooms and BILL GATES HAS BROUGHT A FLY SWATTER TO THE TABLE.If only money could help our problems.....keep dreaming.

[Chapiro]

Originally Posted by brucegel

The poor kids should not have been born in the first place .There is no adequate way to provide them with a future worth living unless they leave their country which they can't afford to do.And now we are "saving" millions more with our western medicine.The term carrying capacity is a very real thing and WE HAVE MESSED WITH IT BIG TIME.Again I state where is the food for the children and the housing and the schooling and the jobs going to come from?Just being born doesn't cut it.Their own govts could care less and have proven it a thousand times.I suppose we could wait for a civil war which would wipe out all the kids who didn't die of malaria some time in the future.Theirs a NINE HUNDRED POUND GORILLA in our living rooms and BILL GATES HAS BROUGHT A FLY SWATTER TO THE TABLE.If only money could help our problems.....keep dreaming.

Hi,

I really dont like Mr gates (not personally because I havent had the pleasure of meeting him, but his company busisnes tacics etc and yes Im a Mac user) but suggesting that human beings shouldnt had been born and implying that money should not be donated for the treatment and cure of disese seems a little cruel to say the least. I think this is a very thin moral line you are walking on here. it sounds kind of facist to me. So you are trying to say that because there is no guarantee of education and the other issues you mention it is better to let this people die so nature can clean itself? solve the overpopulation issue in these areas. How many people live in "civilized" parts of the world? Say, for example New york. isnt it a little bit overpopulated? Maybe we should sterilize all the women so they dont conceive. Or are only people in the west allowed to have a healthy existence with their most basic human rights guaranteed. this is 2006 the 21st century and is a shame for us all that human beings live under these conditions in these countries while we bitch about gas prices so we can drive our SUV's. This is our biggest failure as a civilization how can so many be denied basic human rights while others live with vast resources wich they dont appreciate. Your statement sounds a bit arrogant and cold to me. I just dont understand how someone is trying to make a difference and somehow you manage to make it sound like if it is somethig negative. Please dont take this personally maybe Im misunderstanding what you are trying to say. But from your posts this is what it sounds like to me. My intention is not to offend but to maybe open your eyes to a different perspective. 200 million dollars seems to me like a good start to solve all the issues that you mentioned. I know in terms of the massive amounts of money needed to solve world hunger sickness etc 200 million is the equivalent to almost nada, nothing but maybe more companies from rich developed countries (including Apple) will follow this example and try to make this world a better and safer place for us all. Poverty, sickness, war etc afects us all wether we live in a rich developed nation or a thirld world country. Again accept my apologies if somehow i misunderstood your point.

[brucegel]

Actually get involved with the lives of millions who are impoverished.We have seen a million times that spending money doesn't work long term.Better you should adopt children from third world countries like many of my friends have.A blighted,arid and scarred scorched earth soon to get worse because of global warming is no place for human beings to live.

[r0ck1r0ck2]

mmmmmmmmm....
he's sooo sexified

[catfish11]

brucegell, they're are many ways to off yourself, if your argument is overpopulation, no place better to start than at home, i say

or are you better? ...why, cuz your white?
born privledged?
in a rich society?
why do you deserve life more than some other,
your talking out your ass

the ****'s had lots of solutions too.

[Ricky]

Yeah Bills a bonza bloke , in fact after your last choice you should put him in the white house with steve jobs. kinda like revenge of the nerds

[brucegel]

Hotel after hotel after hotel after hotel after hotelafterhotelafterhotellllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.Breed and they shall purchase.

[skygod]

Bill Gates Retiring

This is priceless: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5NoGbLI3ePA&search=Letterman's+tribute+to+Bill+Gates+and+Microsoft



~skygod~

[macleodgrant]

Originally Posted by rickrock305

to his credit, Gates does do a LOT of good by donating tons of money.

he has a lot of money to give!

[Farshad]

Originally Posted by mosrite

But shouldnt we really be pissed off with the people who create the viruses/worms etc in the first place? Im not saying microsoft doesnt have an obligation to protect its users but if the assholes who created the problems didnt exist in the first place then there would be no problem. Kind of like blaming the locksmith for the robber breaking in.

Ive never had my work pc online, I wouldnt risk it. In my experience the bugs you refer to are almost solely reserved for online use (at least in the case of XP service pack 2 that I use). I think its a stable platform otherwise. I can only go on the experience of myself and others Ive witnessed but Ive had very little trouble with XP itself. Any problems with (offline) PCs I reckon tend to be more down to crappy chipsets, drivers and lack of user knowledge.

I wonder if Macs were hammered with targeted attacks online as much as PCs how well the Mac OS would hold up. I guess we'll never know.

Business is business and I bet Steve Jobs is just as ruthless. We dont hear about it though as his company and subsequent global impact is significantly smaller. AND I reckon he has a great image promotion team behind him (whereas Bill Gates evidently doesnt!).

My studio PC is offline. Had no problem for 2 years after my last Windows installation. My brother and a friend have more problems with their new SUPER COOL Macs.Your point about crappy hardware is so true. It is like buying cheap audio gear waste of time and money. But bashing Gates, MS and Windows seems to be the fashion, My 2 cents.

-Farshad

[mikeeusa]

Originally Posted by brucegel

The poor kids should not have been born in the first place .There is no adequate way to provide them with a future worth living unless they leave their country which they can't afford to do.And now we are "saving" millions more with our western medicine.The term carrying capacity is a very real thing and WE HAVE MESSED WITH IT BIG TIME.Again I state where is the food for the children and the housing and the schooling and the jobs going to come from?Just being born doesn't cut it.Their own govts could care less and have proven it a thousand times.I suppose we could wait for a civil war which would wipe out all the kids who didn't die of malaria some time in the future.Theirs a NINE HUNDRED POUND GORILLA in our living rooms and BILL GATES HAS BROUGHT A FLY SWATTER TO THE TABLE.If only money could help our problems.....keep dreaming.

****.

You probably like the idea of women's rights (women choosing to have children or not etc).

[mikeeusa]

Originally Posted by AcousTronic

I couldn't give a crap about what kind of people they are. Mac is a more stable and better platform, period. As for the charity works, anyone with Bill's kind of money really should "give back", but don't tell me that it truly makes him a better person cause it also saves him millions on tax day!!

Linux is the best.
Debian.

[ambiguity]

All due respect, I don't care about the business practices of a company whose products I'm using. I sincerely doubt Gates, MS, or whoever created buggy software on purpose. Bugs surface, and are usually fixed really fast...

I'm a Mac user, made a switch after Win98. I love OSX. When I bought my car, I got a shitty Dell desktop for free and installed XP. I tortured that system, messed around with it... I installed and uninstalled software, shareware, freeware, crapware. I watched more porn on that machine than I care to admit. The machine was protected with AVG free, a free anti-virus sw.

It never crashed, not a single time. When I'd overload the CPU it would choke, but that would be my fault - still, wouldn't crash. Not a single virus or a trojan.

All of that made me conclude that either I was incredibly lucky (which I wasn't with Windows 3.1, 95, and 98), or that most problems people experience on Windows PCs are due to operator errors or faulty hardware (and I had my fair share of the latter while using PCs).

Cheers.

[Recording David]

Originally Posted by mikeeusa

****.

You probably like the idea of women's rights (women choosing to have children or not etc).

TEEN ALERT!!

Someone ban this prick. Take your women hating bullshit and F U C K O F F. fuuck

Do your parents know you are on the internet?

[HIGHENDONLY]

Tax right off COUGH tax right off COUGH tax right off..

[ambiguity]

Originally Posted by Recording David

TEEN ALERT!!

Someone ban this prick. Take your women hating bullshit and F U C K O F F. fuuck

Do your parents know you are on the internet?

just ignore the ******, he'll wear off eventually.