Slashdot Mirror
Gates: Say No to GPL, Yes to the Microsoft Ecosystem
Andy Tai writes "As part of Microsoft's campaign against the GPL, Bill Gates is personally coming to the front line to launch attacks. While speaking at the Government Leadership Conference, Gates argues against spending R&D dollars for GPLed software development. He suggests countries that look to adapt the GPL model are denying "the benefits of an eco-system that has worked extremely well in the United States" and they should copy the system in the US (where Microsoft has an monopoly). He further suggests that source code availability is not generally needed, and when it is needed, Microsoft provides it. Invoking words like "capitalism" and "innovation", Gates argues that free software can exist, but should be like a free unix called "VSB" (probably a transcription error for BSD), without the GPL around it. Gates continues: 'A government can fund research work on BFP, UNIX, and still have commercial companies in their country start off around that type of work. You know, technology policies like biotech -- you only -- if your universities are doing work that can be commercialized, you will have IT jobs in your country. And if they are not, then fine, just say that farming is your thing, or whatever it is. All the taxes will be paid by those guys or something -- I don't know. And the farmers will go home at night and work on the source code.' It is interesting to note that Microsoft is increasingly using the same "ecosystem" arguments for defending itself in the anti-trust trial and attacks on the GPL."
Typical bovine fertilizer from a penguine fetishist.
Oh, I'm sorry - if you don't understand the word "fetishist", go upstairs from your stinky basement and ask your parents; depending on how old you are, you'll either get your mouth washed out with soap or your parents will cry with joy because you found out that there's something else beyond the joy of typing "fsck" or "nmake"
Did you ever THINK that quite possibly the transcriber (who probably knows little if nothing about the speaker's topic) got it wrong?
Stupid putz!
ScottKin
I don't give a rat's behind about "karma" here or anywhere else. Don't like what I have to say here? Deal with it!
I love this argument. I expected more from Willie. This is facism in action, people. We all get to pay for Microsoft to have source code that they can "make improvements" to and sell back to us.
"I assumed blithely that there were no elves out there in the darkness"
I know this will start a heated debate, but if my tax dollars are paying for something, I want it issused so that some value comes back, not just a welfare-like giveaway.
;-)
Who cares what you want?
If *MY* tax dollars are paying for something I damn well want to be able to use the fruits of that work any way I please - including in ways which are NOT GPL compatible.
Simon
Coming soon - pyrogyra
"Who the hell do you think you are, Al Gore? If so, thanks very much for your generous decision to release "the Web" into the public domain! I would hate to see "the Web" under some license!"
This really should be modded up, for political humor and pointing out the idiocy of current US government web policy.
SB
An anonymous post does not mean it's not good, just that the poster doesn't want a Rant of Trolls descending upon him/her like Hitchcock's birds. Yes, I have a beef with the AC mod. FY2. Sue me.
It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.
Gates thinks of himself as a Guru of the industry whose ideas should be followed and never questioned. Well in his defense it isn't easy to drop out of college start your own business and make it one of the largest computer companies yet. However I don't think I need to point out to the slashdot crowd that Bill's climb to the top wasn't for his l33t skillz or even for his own ingenious ideas. He merely borrowed ideas from other companies where he could get away with it. Acquired software from individuals who had something worthwhile yet were unable or unwilling to market the product. Last but not least Gates never hesitated to make advantageous deals with companies who produced something he needed, but at the time couldn't produce himself.
Bill Gates is a shrewd businessman who likes computers, nothing more. Now I know this is a little preaching to the converted, but Businessmen play the money game, and money makes people eccentric in the extreme and Bill Gates is no exception. Here's pictorial proof right here.That pic alone makes me want to punch the guy.
>
"First of all, Microsoft doesn't pay squat in taxes." Oh Really??? You obviously have never run a business and do not know what you are talking about. What about FICA, FUTA, Property Taxes, ... Just because a Corp doesn't pay Corporate Income Taxes does not mean they don't pay any taxes.
Well Gates is a gready egocentrical asshole.
The GPL will exist as long as there's free speech.
So, Gates, you greedy communist bastard, get over it! Your monopoly will eventually tumble! It may
take decades, but it will eventually fall. You create bloateware that's buggy. The public can exapand on GPL code and add functionality.
In the beginning software followed an Open Source type model. I remember as a kid code posted on bulleting boards for my Sym-1. People and programmers shared ideas. Well the GPL also allows us to share ideas. So..
Gates, go count your money and give it to some
charity that gives a damn. What goes around comes around, and eventually your software empire will tumble to the ground.