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Gates and Security

Posted by michael on from the news-and-abuse dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Orwell was wrong about Big Brother! Microsoft founder and chairman Bill Gates told a homeland-security conference on Wednesday afternoon that Orwell's dystopian vision of the future, in which Big Brother used technology as a form of social control, 'didn't come true, and I don't believe it will.'" Other tidbits about this security conference: Gates had his own troubles with security (Drudge is copy-and-pasting from a subscriber-only Roll Call story). Gates is apparently trying to sell interoperability to HomeSec. Meanwhile, Microsoft viruses continue unchecked.

7 of 485 comments (clear)

  1. 1984 by Waab · · Score: 5, Funny

    Gates told the Homeland Security folks all about how Palladium and other 'secure computing' initiatives will actually prevent the kind of scenario presented in Orwell's classic.

    When asked by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge exactly how Palladium "relates to that one really neat Super Bowl commercial, the one with the running and throwing the hammer at the tv", Gates got a little red in the face and mumbled something about how that was the "wrong company."

  2. Re:Orwell's vision was true! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    1984 was not a book that tried to predict the future.

    Then why did he timestamp it?

  3. Re:this is what it takes by wass · · Score: 5, Funny
    No no, look at it from the optimistic vantage point instead.

    In a world without walls, there's no need for Windows.
    In a world without fences, there's no need for Gates.

    --

    make world, not war

  4. Re:Orwell's vision was true! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    That said, many people (Myself included) would say that what we see now from our own, non-Communist Governments approximates pretty closely to the totalitarian regimes of 20th century communist states, and uses a few tricks that are used by INGSOC & Big Brother throughout 1984.
    That's so untrue! For example, a modern government would never attempt to control the language to prevent meaningful debate of international terrorism or the liberation of Iraq.
  5. Freakin' lasers by truthsearch · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't forget the freakin' sharks with freakin' laser beams attached to their freakin' heads. They've killed many an un-named henchmen.

    --
    Developers: We can use your help.
  6. Re:Gates and Security by Phroggy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Gates are definitely a good first step for security, if additional security is required, I would also recommend a pirhana infested moat and barbed wire fences.

    In a world without walls and fences, who needs Windows and Gates?

    --
    $x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
    $x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
  7. Re:Orwell's vision was true! by kin_korn_karn · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Ignorance is Strength" has already been adopted by the American people.