Slashdot Mirror
Bill Gates to Receive Honorary UK Knighthood
jolyon writes "Yahoo is reporting that Bill Gates will receive his honorary UK knighthood on Wednesday. He doesn't get to call himself 'Sir' though. He becomes a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire."
"(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."
If only Knighthood came with all the grandeur that fairytales make it out to be. Luckily for Gates he falls right into the lot of Knights that were brutal barbarians who killed their competitors off by lopping their heads off with a sharp steel sword.
Among the pomp and grandeur of the formal state rooms at the palace, Gates will kneel in front of the sovereign, who will gently tap him on the shoulder with a sword.
You have to wonder if this is something like Gates received from the DOJ... "Among the pomp and grandeur of the formal courthouse, Gates will kneel in front of the judge, who will gently slap him on the wrist.
They need to name that something cool like Honorary Convicted Monopolist or something.
to have a Most Excellent Adventure through knighthood. Does this mean he call himself Bill H Gates, Esquire now? Party on Dude!
sorry, so so sorry
Oh dear lord... what's he in charge of? More importantly does this affect his borg status at all?
---
Programming is like sex... Make one mistake and support it the rest of your life.
So, exactly how much money does one need in order to be called "Sir"?
BDR Gear
Outdoor gear, MREs, and more!
I swear he received this like a year or two ago.
AHA!
and I was not wrong.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3428673.stm
April fools is in one month.
Sir William H. Gates the Third!
(If anybody in the software industry deserves a knighthood, I'd think it would be Linus).
Almost all of us Brits have that title. It's handed down from father to son, in the same way the family bible would be.
We all live in castles too.
When does mc chris get is knighthood?
Her Majesty runs RedHat though - we should get her to cut his head off.
Honestly, this is old news. I remember the story being out there over a year ago.
OCO is Loco
The Blue Shield of Death.
Maybe the sword will slip! Hey the Queen is getting old! :)
Do you think it would be possible for me to do this sword thing?
Where do I apply?
Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire or KCOTMEOOTBE
I guess they'll let anyone become a British knight...
Yes Bill, but: I believe we will not get Eddie Van Halen until we have a triumphant video.
Ted, It's pointless to have a triumphant video when we don't even have any decent instruments.
But how can we have decent instruments when we don't know how to play?
That is why we need Eddie Van Halen.
And that is why we need a triumphant video.
Excellent!
This is *not* and I do mean *not* a troll. At least this reply was funny!
Finally, Microsoft will be able to have an official launch of their Crusade against Open Source. The Open Source heretics must die, and Bill Gates will lead the army to do it.
Java has no friends.
After Bill, Elton John, ... my dog has to be next!
... oh ya.. money.
What ever happened to the prerequisites needed for such a title? When was the last time a Mr. Nobody received the same? - Do you only need to be super public/famous/popular?
When the Beatles got their shiny trinkets alot of the old guard threatened to send theirs back. I guess it'd be to much to hope for but the sound of metal in the queen's mail-box would be more appropriate today.
Bitsofnews.com Giving you the latest bits
Just wondering...
Lost in space at an early age. Survived the vacuum. Now rebuilding castle in air.
...of the year. From 13 months ago, if memory serves me correctly. Yup, thought so.
So we're into recycling now?
Resistance is futile. Reactance buggers it up.
To celebrate Bill Gates will tour Linux conventions and command: 'Kneel for your overlord!'.
Obviously the Queen has never used Windows and has no clue at all about Gates and Microsoft.
Does he become a full member of the House of Lords?
Can I challenge him to a jousting match? I'll even let him choose the OS his mechanical horse runs...
When the Government's systems are broken once again Her Majesty's loyal knight is the only one that can rescue the Kingdom from total collapse.
Regardless of how we feel about Microsoft as a corporation and Bill Gates as a ruthless evil business-demon, he has done wonderful things through his Bill and Melinda Gates foundation. I don't know if he is deserving of knighthood. He is a good capitalist, if that is something to be proud of.
Like the dept tagline says, all it takes is billions of dollars. Knighthood must be hurting for worthy people these days.
-- Having a Creationist Museum is like having an Atheist place of worship
Come and see the patents inherent in the system!
Help help! We're being repressed!
Nothing like facing reality.
Sent from my ASR33 using ASCII
Bill's first task, after being knighted, is rumored to be to changed the way we all surf. Or was that to change us all into serfs? hmmm. I forget.
He beat me to it! Guess I owe him a dollar.
Now that Bill Gates is a knight, will he be appearing as a character in various Microsoft RPG games (a la Lord British)?
How many hardcore Linux users would install a Windows partition just to play future versions of Dungeon Siege and have a chance to maim Bill Gates?
I'm a big tall mofo.
"The idea that Bill Gates has appeared like a knight in shining armour to lead all customers out of a mire of technological chaos neatly ignores the fact that it was he who, by peddling second-rate technology, led them into it in the first place." (Douglas Adams)
:-)
Now all he needs is the shining armour
Bill Gates will become a Knight in the order of the Jedi and his lightsaber will run on Longhorn.
News Reporters Make Tasty Polar Bear Treats!
Seriously speaking, what is the point of all these titles given out by Elizabeth? Just another pointless title. Almost as pointless as Royalty in the UK. Can't believe so many ppl in the UK go goo goo ga gaa over Royalty in the UK.
nm
So Long and Thanks for all the Fish.
After seeing the first few comments, I wonder what the record is for the most Flamebait/Troll mods in one story? And shall we break that record today?
I Am My Own Worst Enemy
Knight of... what?
I have a few stolen original Windows CDs. There were 80 or so in the box so, already installed on computers they had been shipped with, so I grabbed a handfull and pocketed them. So now I have them, the owner doesn't. I wasn't caught red-handed, so I'm quite safe, any control will show a bunch of legal Windows CDs. I can even sell them now for profit legally. Unless they find the original CDs are missing, and find out who took them (quite impossible now), I'm perfectly safe.
But if I copied them, the original owner would still have them. But if they checked my property they would find a box of "stolen Windows CDs" and prosecute me for them.
This is the model of the world mr Gates is promoting. Is that the virtue he received the knighthood for?
45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
Arise!
Sir Embrace of Extend!
Sir Protector of FUD!
Sir Blue of Screen!
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Anyone else thought "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" when they read that tagline ? ;-)
This is a most excellent moment in history! This is surely the most excellent beginning of a most excellent adventure! Although I'm unsure how Bill (Gates) and Ted (Kennedy) are tied in to this plot, I expect most excellent show.
Stay tuned!
.."Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire." Protector of the Order of the BSOD, Royal Disseminator of FUD, and Patcher of the Realm.
What does this button do...
He doesn't get to call himself 'Sir' though
With Bill Gate's kind of money & power, not only would I call myself 'Sir,' I'd tack on whatever other titles and suffixes I wanted and laugh at anyone who tried to tell me otherwise.
For starters...The Most Honorable Lord Sir Magnus Sheikh Czar BWCarty, Emperor of the Universe, Second Coming of the Mesiah, and Bringer of the Apocalypse.
Gates will kneel in front of the sovereign, who will gently tap him on the shoulder with a sword
I think this is a mockery of the title. Not that I am for titles, but this is a mockery of it!
I say take a swing!
Queen: "Blue screen of death? ill give you blue screen of death!"
#hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
An explaination of who gets to call themselves sir.. For those not quite in the know of how the Brittish Knighting system works.
Quoting Wikipedia: "Citizens of other countries, however, may be admitted as "honorary members". They do not count towards the numerical limits aforementioned, nor are they addressed as "Sir". (They may be made full members if they subsequently become British citizens.) Notable foreign members of the Order have included Pelé, Bob Geldof, Bill Gates, Rudy Giuliani, Alan Greenspan, Steven Spielberg, Tommy Franks and Wesley Clark (all Knights Commander)."
"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is." G.W.Bush
it's pronounced "Sir William H. Gates, the Turd"
But he's given enough of what he stole to decent charities that I say let him be crowned or sainted or venerated by the sort of people who do that sort of thing. As long as he keeps giving to charities, I just don't care.
=brian
Today is *not* April first it is March first.
Thank you, and now feel free to recind the joke article.
These are not the
"Among the pomp and grandeur of the formal state rooms at the palace, Gates will kneel in front of the sovereign, who will gently tap him on the shoulder with a sword."
That's the best sentence I've read in a long time.
I'm sure there's plenty of Slashdotters who'd rather she stabbed him with it, though... *grin*.
So the Queen Knights him. I guess he just reached the eight rank...Now I wonder, will he castle, too? :)
Sorry to say, but the British monarchy has seen its best days. Perhaps Bush can liberate the Brits and the commonwealth countries from this non-democratic institution?!
If that crook Conrad Black can be a Lord, and a Scottish Nationalist knighted, I suppose Bill Gates being a knight is far from the strangest or the worst thing that could happen.
Okay so he runs a large company with UK offices, but so what? Microsoft has offices in every large country. So what has Bill Gates done specifically for the benefit of the UK?
he is the single largest donator in the world, he pushes causes, gives insane amounts of money to AIDS research. he is a good person as much as many will have distain for his business practices.
Inquiring minds want to know...
You have to be a British Subject to be called 'Sir'. For Bill Gates, that would mean a lot of taxe$ - probably more than he is willing to spend, and very expensive indeed.
It's odd that all it takes to get the civilian hono(u)rariums that a country has to offer is a lot of dough. I watched "The age of Wal*Mart" the other night. It featured a scene where George Bush I placed the Medal Of Freedom (highest US civilian honor) around Sam Walton's neck. I was like: For what? Being really rich? Maybe there was some charity involved somewhere with either Billy Gates or Sam Walton, but on a percentage-of-wealth scale, they don't look more impressive than the same level of giving by a poorer person. Heck donating 5% of income is a heroic sacrifice for the average Wal*Mart employee, but for Sam Walton, or Bill Gates, giving 99% would leave them still extremely wealthy and living like kings. Less impressive, really than the cashier who donates 5%.
As much as the open source community loves to hate Bill and Microsoft, they have transformed the world. Contrast the office of today with that of 20 years ago. Today, almost every office worker is using his/her computer most of the day. Before, there were legions of secretaries, typists and assistants to help in the production of documents and letters.
Of course there are disadvantages but the modern ways make white collar workers much more productive.
Like it or not, Bill Gates contributed more to the good economy of the 1990s than Bill Clinton did. Yet we love Bill C and love to hate Bill G.
"I can't see the sense in it [his honorary CBE] really. It makes me a Commander of the British Empire. They might as well make me a Commander of Milton Keynes - at least that exists."
With this power of modern knighthood, does he get to wear heavy metal, listen to classical, save daimsels in distress and most importantly... is he going to design me a knightish HEV suit? Windows Knights Edition sounds good to me.
God dammit. I thought you had to be British to get knighthood. I guess you just have to be at the forefront of the world's largest corperate monopoly and at the same time, the richest nerd in the history of the universe.
When it was announced last year that Gates was to be knighted, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw paid tribute to him.
"(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."
Yes, at last count in 2004 it cost the UK economy BILLIONS (a rather round figure) of pounds.
As for changing business practices.. well Microsoft haven't yet forced thier patent strategy onto us, so right now we are not all suckling from thier fetid teat.
#hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
From the Yahoo blurb...
:o)
"Microsoft technology has transformed business practices and his company has had a profound impact on the British economy."
Yes indeed. The number of people employed to keep the computers running his companies products has had a great (positive) impact on the British economy.
On the other hand, it's also had a great impact (negatively) on the British economy as companies struggle day-to-day to get things done running his companies products...
--#voxlator
So...how can someone be "prohibited" from calling himself Sir? Will I get mailbombed or something if I refer to myself as Sir? Or (shivers) SUED?
Sir James G.
Escapes me as to why either applies.
Lost in space at an early age. Survived the vacuum. Now rebuilding castle in air.
Or iraqi style, with gory video to see on al-Jazeera. ;-)
Looking forward to it
This space is intentionally staring blankly at you
I for one welcome our new Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire Overlord.
Among the pomp and grandeur of the formal state rooms at the palace, Gates will kneel in front of the sovereign, who will gently tap him on the shoulder with a sword.
Or the penguin could drive the sword into his heart, ditch the queen disguise, and quickly waddle away.
Sure, he has the money and we don't, but it is easy to say that if you were a billionaire, you would be that giving as well, it's probably harder to actually do. Let's give this man some credit where credit is due, he is doing phenomenal things with his money and (let's be honest here) he is EXACTLY what we all want to one day be: billionaire software developers.
Will he give them free Microsoft software, They will need updates for their cctv systems, nutrition systems, toilet systems and the war system
Maybe someone can slip the queen a little PCP so she'll wig out and give a good swipe instead of a "gentle tap"...
Today the part of Arthur will be played by Linus and the Black Knight by Mr. Gates:
Arthur: You are indeed brave Sir knight, but the fight is mine.
Black Knight: Had enough?
Arthur: You stupid bastard. You havn't got any arms left.
Black Knight: Course I have.
Arthur: Look!
Black Knight: What! Just a flesh wound.
You can have my cynical agnosticism when you pry it from my cold, dead logic.
I would have RMS preside over the ceremony.
Careful with that sword there, boy.
-R
say what you like, but it's an easy and convenient way to get a sword near his head.
This is not the sig you are looking for...
you had to kill dragons to be a knight. Maybe Mozzilla counts, but he hasn't slayed it yet.
Anyone got an address or something I can complain to? This is downright fucked up and I don't want him a knight of my realm.
Postal address, e-mail or phone number if anyone has one. Even if we can't stop it we can clearly show we hate it.
I like muppets.
Hahaha little does he know, the Queen has no intention 'tapping' the sword on his shoulder..
This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
What a disgrace that weaklings like Gates and Berners Lee are knighted. Only F1 drivers, athletes and war heroes deserve the honor.
Back in the early days of Knighthood, a would-be knight had to prove his strength, valour, chivalry, courage, and other things that proved his worth to the realm. Nowadays, you can be Elton John or Mick Jagger (or good ol' Billy Gates), and you're set. Am I the only one who thinks something's gone horribly wrong here? The Queen must be sick to her stomach having to knight all these guys...
"Microsoft technology has transformed business practices and his company has had a profound impact on the British economy."
Microsoft's business practices usually have a profound impact. That's why the company has faced anti-trust cases.
Although we can't deny that Bill Gates has been a successful businessman, we can't deny that he has allowed his company to crush competition in an anti-competitive manner (according to the courts), and has not only maintained an illegal monopoly (according to the courts), but it has leveraged its illegal monopoly to force its way as a leader into other markets.
If he's so successful, why can't he promote competition? Competition is good for the end-user, just look how Firefox got Microsoft to update Internet Explorer! Bill Gates should ensure that competition is kept alive by accepting open standards.
A knighthood for bundling and lock-in. Hip, Hip, Hooray!
Linux/Open Source/Anti Microsoft News
Building windows ontop of command, from windows 3.11 to todays windows XP has finally payed off!
I dunno, the Queen is getting on now days, what do you think the likelyhood of her coming over faint at the exact moment she is knighting him, and collapsing on the sword (putting more pressure on it than she intended), and accidentally decapitaing poor ol' Bill?
For all you nay sayers, leave me alone with my dreams!
He got to the eight rank, and was promoted to Knight. I'm pretty sure it's because he gives a check...
(Darth Raymond) "I challenge you to a duel, Master Gates."
(Jedi Gates) "All right, just let me boot up my light saber."
10 minutes pass
(G) "Ok, my blade's on."
(R) "Then to battle!"
(G) "No, wait, now I need to turn on Windows Media Player so I can change my saber color."
(R) "What?"
(G) "Great, now let me close all of these pop-ups that show up whenever I turn on my saber."
(R) "You get light saber popups?"
(G) "Yes, but that'll be fixed in Service Pack 20, due out next year, barring unforeseen delays. Popups are really a normal part of dueling, you know."
(R) "You're a loony."
(G) "Am not!"
They fight. Gates is skilled, but after a few strikes his blade flickers and goes out, letting Raymond's blade slip through and destroy him.
(R) "Bill, Bill, Bill...didn't you read your own EULA? Longhorn isn't for use in airports, nuclear power plants, or other dangerous environments."
Stop learning! Only you can prevent esoterrorism.
I guess his knighthood is for services to insecurity or something then...
http://blog.nexusuk.org
I guess this means Sir Bill will soon have all of us hauled off to the digital stockades screaming, "Help! I'm being oppressed! Come see the violence inherent in the system!"
Bill is going to get a TV series of his own, just like Black Adder. Wonder what kind of of intro music they'll use? ..
I can only apologize.
I feel so ashamed...
How much longer will this delay Longhorn?
'he has done wonderful things through his Bill and Melinda Gates foundation'
Yeh, so would I if I were the richest man in the world, where's my knighthood.
This stinks of number swiss bank acount + a contract for Microsoft.
thank God the internet isn't a human right.
I personally do not like how close Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, chancellor of the exchequer are to Gates. It seems unhealthy that they should be having meetings at such a level - especially since the use of Linux and FOSS in the goverment has been recommended, and then ignored when it comes down to purchasing time.
Obviously Gates has an interest in the use of MS within the UK Goverment, but surely this is just going over the IT decision makers heads when they sided with FOSS.
Also.. what the hell has Gates done for this country? All the sales are done via MS Ireland, not MS UK afaik.
He's the BSOD.... BLUE SIR OF DEATH!
Don't use so many caps.
If Bill were being knighted for his charitable deeds, his intelligence, maybe even his success as a businessman, I could understand this. After all, there is no denying that he is a brilliant and successful capitalist, the realization of American ideals. However, according to TFA, he's being knighted for the profound impact Microsoft has had on the British Economy. And they're greatful for this??? His company isn't out to contribute to the British economy, it's out to rape and pillage it.
Hell, let's start giving out knighthoods to oil companies because of their profound impact on the environment. Actually, that's one example we'll likely see too, with oil companies being recognized for their contributions into fuel efficiency and alternate fuels research. Argh.
I suppose instead of being one of the knights who say "NEE!", he'll be one of the knights who say "moNEY!"
Having MCSE certification doesn't make you an engineer either.
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire should send Bill Gates to war in Iraq with the rest of their knights.
I have a website. It's about Macs.
I'll Joust him, but only riding a specially bred flying Ostrich.
The arena will consist of platforms and a lava pit with a lava troll to pull in anyone that gets their feet too close to the lava.
EOM
...without adding 'You're making a scene.'
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Lois, this isn't my Batman glass. - Peter
I just love the image of invaders trying to take over Great Britain, and all these recent "knights" made in the last 50 years being asked to defend the realm - Musicians, Artists, Actors, and now Bill Gates, all trying to walk in plate-mail and get up on a horse.
Don't label something "offtopic" unless you know the topic well enough to tell what's on topic.
Well I for one will be protesting to the Queen.
It is simply not done to make a criminal (a convicted monopolist) a knight of the realm.
Oh wait... That seems to be the minimum qualification these days.
Sky subscribers are morons. They pay to be advertised at !
How about Sir Charge... Sur Charge... :P
Maybe her finger will slip... or if we're really lucky her whole hand.
I like suggestions, but I don't like contributing towards them.
News article :-)
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
Who wants to be a Knight now anyway? I mean piano man is an OK song, but a Knighworthy song? I don't know about that....
it's used as a marketing arm of Microsoft.
...
For example
He donates money to schools that buy microsoft computers. These computers lock that school district into microsoft.
Gates foundation gives money to NPR. NPR does puff piece on Microsoft.
Bill who is now a what?
Yeah right..
Then the President of the United States should be Torvalds/.
(Don't say the problem is that he if Finnish, ***** is a U.S. citizen but he's still knighted.)
You might want to read that more carefully. Those words "holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them" weren't put down to use up the extra ink in the pen.
With great power comes great fan noise.
US Constitution. Article I. Section 9.
Clause 8: No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
Bowing before the English Queen is UNFUCKINGAMERICAN.
For all the times I've had to listen to you Britons say "Those Americans are so bloody daft.... "
HA! So now who's gone bananas?!?
Degraded honour. What value is it to give this to a businessman.
Is he serving people? Is he even working for Great Britian. What a sham.
are the UK taxpayers paying for this?
Why do I keep typing pythong?
And not phoney-baloney charities either. He's getting children immunized and properly educated, investing in our future so to speak. Plus, his hyper-aggressive business practices have pushed tens of thousands of tech-enthusiasts into Stallman's arms, increasing the liberalism of our entire society.
Bill Gates KDE ... ... sorry I mean KBE.
We're sorry Mr. Gates about all those lawsuits you lost here in Europe. And we won't even get started about that software patent rejection, we know it will greatly hinder your empire within ours. Fret not however! We have a come up with a lovely consolation prize that will surely coddle your ego and keep your delightful money in our country! How would you like to be a real live knight! Never mind that knighthood used to be reserved for only the most honorable of men (and that your business practices have always been anything but that)! We make exceptions for money...err...people we really like!
Our greatest enemy is neither a single man, nor is it a nation, it is, as it has always been, our own greed.
Sorry misspelled the great state of Kentucky.
...what is this "British Empire" thingy? Is it like that secret society that the one inspector on The Thin Blue Line joined where you kiss a turkey's bottom on special occasions?
Channeling Rowan Atkinson
OMG I misread that as Wesley Crusher...
Like I didn't have a reason to hate England before.
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
he is the single largest donator in the world, he pushes causes, gives insane amounts of money to AIDS research. he is a good person as much as many will have distain for his business practices.
So if I steal lots of money from people, give a portion to charity and pocket the rest that makes me a good person?
http://blog.nexusuk.org
of the US constitution:
No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
(emphasis mine)
So, Mr. Bill could be Sir Bill if he can get Congress to pass a bill giving him permnission to receive it. As it is, he can only receive the "honorary" honour, so to speak.
Recent American KBE's (according to my friend Google) include Tommy Franks, Alan Greenspan, Wesley Clark and Andres Previn. Stormin' Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell, a KCB, which IIRC is more exclusive. Of course, Reagan, Bush the First and Cap Weinberger got GCBs, which is a more exclusive degree than KCB.
Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
So, a person that steals, but doesnt get caught, or gets let off is not a criminal?
... even admiration, no matter how despicable one is. Depressing, and certainly an argument in favor of allowing humankind to go extinct (the sooner the better, perhaps, though as a human I'd argue the opposite despite the infestation of the species by the likes of Bill Gates), but hardly unprecidented.
Depends on which definition of "criminal" you're using (pedants can look up the definitions online).
One definition requires you to break a law, another merely to engage in acts against your society that harm others, and still another that you be convicted of violating criminal code of law. The latter is obviously a lawyer's definition, the others lay-people's usage of the language going back hundreds of years.
By the first two, Bill Gates is a criminal (indeed, he has been CONVICTED of abusing his monopoly, a civil law which he has violated). By the third, he is technically not a "convicted criminal," though he is most assuradly a "convicted monopolist."
In any event, his actions are "criminal" in the lay sense of the word -- they have done and continue to do great harm to millions, perhaps billions, of people -- and he gets a free pass because (a) he is rich, therefor Good By Definition(tm), at least in America and its satelites, and (b) he gives a smidgeon away to worthy causes, so he must be "good" no matter how many people and industries he's destroyed in getting the ill-gotten gains whose crumbs he scatters among some in dire need.
Draw your own conclusions. I find his ability to get a free pass by giving a little to a few worthy causes to be indicative of just how much money can buy
The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
Does Brits still have an empire? Or they are still living in a dream: "Once upon a time, it was a British Empire..."
But he's given enough of what he stole to decent charities that I say let him be crowned or sainted or venerated by the sort of people who do that sort of thing. As long as he keeps giving to charities, I just don't care.
... nevermind the millions he may have destroyed elsewhere. Be a good American(tm) and venerate him, for as a very wealthy man (never mind how he got there) he is akin to God.
It is exactly that attitude that has allowed the status quo to remain largely unchanged, despite the fact that humanity has had the resources and technical knowhow to end all poverty since about the 17th century.
As long as we get a few crumbs, we'll tolerate any amount of injustice. Add to that the vague dream that we may become one of the haves and enjoy the privelege of trampling on the have-nots that folks like Bill Gates enjoys, and we'll defend to the death their right to grind the rest of us beneath their heals.
It's OK. He's saved a few lives here
The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
They will opt to use a long horn in this case because this will qualify the British crown for Longhorn OS betas and free trial versions to Longhorn.
This sig donated to Pater. Long live
Unfortunately these aren't the reason's cited at all. The award is for his 'oustanding contribution to the British economy'. Microsoft's taxation of software has cost our economy and our government billions. This money does not go back into that economy but to Microsoft's coffers, though I'll agree with Jack Straw's comment that, "his company has had a profound effect on the British economy."
If Bills gates wanted to contribute a little to our economy then he could give back some of the billions he looted from it.
He has given a lot to charity. But to be honest, percentage-wise it is not that much. $1 million to Bill Gates is like $4 to me. (I have calculated it) You can say he has donated a lot of money, but it was no great sacrifice.
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
I think you mean Andrew Carnagie.. Dale isn't evil as far as I know..
... I wanted the Empire to strike back.
Should we expect Linus Torvalds to be knighted around 10 years from now? Maybe RMS?
"...the shortest distance between two points may be straight line, but it is by no means the most interesting."
People, I'm sure this is old news, and I heard about this a LONG TIME ago...to the detail that stated he wouldn't be able to use Sir, but had to be KBE instead.
CC
CKSCIII
Whatever happened to having to earn knighthood through a lifetime of honor and commitment. I mean, c'mon, they hand out knighthood like candy. No modern knight was ever a Page, or Squire.
I'd love to see Billy-bob wearing a suit of field plate
DarkMantle I been bored, so I started a blog.
Thank you.
Microsoft might be an unethical monopoly, but is Gates complicit in the deaths of his own employees, as Carnegie was ?
People of the time didn't exactly have a high opinion of the steel magnate after that incident. People aren't fond of Gates now.
As an employee of the Carnegie Museums, I say give it a hundred years. We have Carnegie to thank for the museum of art, the museum of natural history, and the Pittsburgh public libraries. You think anyone remembers the labor strike?
Microsoft can't last. What Gates does with his money, however, has the potential to.
There's one knight I wish they'd send into battle...
Not more pomp and tradition. You Americans might love it, but im sick of all the crap that goes on in this country. Why do we have such rubbish traditions here in the UK??
Look at Europe - yes Europe, any European hating beer drinking louts (hopefully they cant use a keyboard let alone a PC). Simple formal parliaments, not morons in an old fashioned ornate horrible old building who yell at each other like children instead of agreeing when things are a good idea, and constructively working towards a sollution to things which need solving.
Why does the prime minister have to follow silly old traditions where he goes and talks to the queen and all that crap? Hello there was a civil war, parliament won, and at that point we should have formed a secular, truly democratic state like france attempted at that point. But no... instead we have some horrible mess of inefficiency.
Dont get me started on how if the royal familly has all their money and businesses, that MY taxes that I pay for working hard, are paid to those morons who do NOTHING for me!!!
Knighthood indeed, he can have it. Outdated tacky traditional crap.
Yeah, he deserves it, windows is awesome if you think about it, computing wouldnt be as big without him.
I'm a rabid Linux fan, and I detest every moment I have to test my work in IE. However, I have to say that what Bill Gates is doing outside of the computing world is nothing short from wonderful.
I have a deep interest in education, in particular, how to solve the problems we are facing without throwing more money at them. So I am heavily involved in the school issues in my neighborhood, and I am organizing people to research things we can be doing to help out the district. What Bill Gates is doing to the education field is nothing short of amazing. Most recently, he said that the current high school system should be scrapped because it is a complete waste of time. I don't know any Linux fans that would disagree with that.
He is also putting his money where his mouth is. I know that we are looking at getting some of his money to implement his plans in our own district, or at least in the final stages of getting the grant. I don't think there is a district in the US that isn't getting some benefit from what he is doing.
And he does more than that. I don't know the specifics, but I know he is working in Africa and South America trying to help raise the living standard from sub-human to at least what we would call "poverty" in the US.
That is what he is getting knighted for, and not for his achievements in amassing a huge amount of wealth. It is how he is using it that really counts.
Now, I also realize that what Bill did to the computing world was nothing short of amazing as well. Before Bill, we were a sub-culture to be derided and spit upon. Now we are cool, and our skills have street-cred. We have Bill Gates to thank for that.
The radical sect of Islam would either see you dead or "reverted" to Islam.
I believe he once claimed (referring to Linda Lovelace) that "only in America could a c*****cker go so far".
he has done wonderful things through his Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.
Except it's not his Bill & Melinda Gates foundation. It's his father's.
I am Sartre of the Borg. Existence is futile.
It still exists? Coulda fooled me.
-- You see, there would be these conclusions that you could jump to
Naw, you don't know this, but the OP is you from the future. I posted that message for you.
Bill.
Sheesh! First announced on January 26, 2004 and it took until March 1, 2005 to find a "mutually convenient date"?
This certainly doesn't look good in regards to getting Longhorn out any time soon...
Sig cancelled due to lack of interest
Ceterum censeo subscriptionem esse delendam.
Neeener neener neener, Bill gates is awared knighthood and where are your Open Sores heroes like Linus and RMS?. OSS - gets you nowhere except the adulations of the screaming teens of /. (quick someone throw their panties at Linus!)
So next time you say Bill Gates, remember to put a "Sir" in front.
They're not really going to do this are they? I mean, yeah, he's made loads of money - but what has he done for Britain? Infact, what has he done for the Commonwealth in general? Just hope this doesn't give a place in the House of Lords!
Surely the Pope should be offered one of these before Gates!
I think Beavis and Butthead get their knighthoods at the same ceremony.
He becomes a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Will Bill and Ted be presenting?
OK Now I want to see the MS picture changed from Gates-Borg, to Gates-Borg head on a little Monty Python knight body on a shetlin pony with lance.
An "order" is not given for good deeds or special herotic actions. It is a recognition of power and might. The other thing is called a "medal".
:-) = I am happy
:^) = I am happy with my big nose
C:\> = I am happy with my OS
The question(s) your post suggests to me is:
Are evil actions justified by doing good ones actions later?
Is theft OK if I use the stolen money for "good"?
If I start out good, then become evil, is my earlier good cancelled?
I would suggest that the good that I do doesn't give me the right to do evil. Nor does evil that I do mean that good acts of mine have no virtue.
Exam 4/C again. Maybe I'll do better this time.
Good for him. That'll look nice on a business card, right next to his "Supreme Evil Minion" title bestowed on him by Satan himself.
Ruby on Rails Screencast
just make him King once and for all.
he already owns the Republic of Ireland.
(not to mention the unswerving loyalty of many European Subordinates)
I feel like culling someone's Corgi today.
But this would qualify as an "Excellent Adventure"
It is better to be the hammer than the anvil.
No, the not-being-called-Sir part is from Britain, not Congress. As he's not part of the commonwealth, he can't call himself Sir. It's nothing to do with America or Congress or Bush or anything, but a British thing. He's a foreign foreigner, and as such, not a Sir.
I'm sure this will humble the man.
Then again, maybe his head will balloon to the size where he will finally float off into the upper atmosphere and suffocate.
"Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives" should be a convenience store, not a government agency.
Thanks again for ripping us all off Mr. Gates. BTW, if you're so smart, how come you had to cheat?
Hey Billy, don't you worry that when you buy the farm, you'll find you've sold your soul?
It is a Knighthood- Reduced Edition.
Arise "Sir Loin of Beef!" "Sir Osis of Liver," "Milk of Magnesia," "Quarter of Ten"...!"
(Place appropriate head-bonking here....)
...for recomending Bill Gates for this honor, have been SACKED!
I can't believe the British have not given up on this royalty bullshit. When are they going to toss those inbreds out, redistribute their illgotten gains, and have a real(er) democracy?
Also Bill can buy his own island nation, declare himself King, and have an army that would be the envy of most of the world.
You can have your god back when you are old enough to handle the responsibility.
Interesting, but 'Sir' is not a title of nobility. Noble titles referred to in the U.S. Constitution are generally indicative of political power, conferring upon the recipient taxable material gain (or loss) and/or entitlement to diplomatic treatment.
Until the government says that Bill's money is illegally obtained, it's his to do with as he pleases. That he chooses to give much of it away is indeed noble. If you think he got money illegally, complain about the government's weak penalties and monopoly enforcement.
The OBE has long been interpreted as "Other Bloke's Effort".
Warning: this article may contain humor, sarcasm, parody, and perhaps even irony. Read at your own risk.
Does this mean he gets to order the Knights that are littered all over the British Empire? Queen's Knight to C3!
He's not a foreigner, he's American!! The queen is the foreigner!!!
This must be the next installment of the "Bill and Ted" movie line... Bill and Ted's Most Excellent Order of Knighthood!
Go, and never darken my towels again! -- Rufus
Gates is only in the education field (if you can say he is into anything but cash) because of Apple. He only sees it as a way to hook kids on his products. Its called business.
Bill and Melinda Gates (remember, it just ain't Bill) are doling out the cash for health and proverty. Oh, and BTW, they ARE taking it off of their taxes as well. Frankly, I think it's Melinda's who in charge of that area. Don't rightly recall ol' Bill doing squat prior to their marriage.
There are true pioneers in the computing industry and then there are hacks like Gates. You can tell who is a pioneer - they usually are the folks that when they die people go "who are they?". Seldom do they self-aggrandize.
Gates did little for this industry but teach it how to out-source. Thanks, Gates, you effing jerk.
IANAL, but I've seen actors play them on TV
That's a promise. I'd probably give most of the remaining billion as well.
Bill doesn't need the money, and therefore, he's not being very charitable. The opposite in fact - he's hoarding money.
He gives it away for PR while he takes over the world.
lolzz zz
Some of these grand acts include getting the naming rights on university libraries etc, but all involve a lot of fanfare to boost PR.
Let's face it, this positive PR is working. There are a lot of people who have their opinion of Bill softened by this.
Engineering is the art of compromise.
Anyone can call himself what he want. UK may disagree and not reocognize/use such title but it doesn't matter if people do. (Lord British for example).
The emporer has already knighted him Darth Gater, sith lord.
I might know what I'm talkin' about, but then again, this is Slashdot...
That's bloody awesome. Gates is like a privateer, back in the mid-1600's, pillaging and looting. Gates is a pirate.
An ASS-pirate.
2. Greet kneeling Gates with a smile
3. Lop off his head with Excalibur
Bill is dead. Long live Bill!
really is...
So, there is nothing honorary in the UK Knighthood.
Bill S. Gates, esq? A MOST EXCELLENT knight!
Damn, grandparent beat me to the joke, and parent beat me to complaining about being beaten to ):
I however, will simply beat you.
HA! I just wasted some of your bandwidth with a frivolous sig!
Umm... wake up, it's only a dream!
this is a restriction to hold public office. ordinary citizens are unaffected.
i doubt there's trouble even when someone already knighted wins office, this is geared towards preventing bribary. does anyone know whether people have been made to renounce titles before taking office?
It's actually KBE.. we're British remember, we have a more sensible approach to acronyms.
This sig all sigs devours
By now I'd think he'd have already leveled as an Anti-Paladin!
-Tom
Sorry the man is doing more for this world than you. It must suck to be that envious of everyone who does better. :(
I'm just happy being me, and knowing that there are a lot of good causes out there getting Bill's money, regardless of where it came from.
I mean, it's better than him building a giant ScroogeMcDuck style money bin.
Sir William H. Gates III and in the same day it seems that open source code in the UK will die. That is not a rhino next to your sofa. No, there is no rhino there.
Excellent. Most egggscellent...
How can the Lord of the Sith be knighted?!?!?
Economic development saves lives. Millions and millions of them.
Bill Gates' business practises have stunted development the world over. Hence: "the millions [of lives] he may have destroyed elsewhere".
I want to watch Bill suffer in agony as he watches his empire crumble, bit by monopolistic bit, beaten by FOSS, as he finds there is no one left, whom Bill hasn't harmed with his practices, that he can pay off to support him.
The award for outstanding achievement in the field of excellence....
Nope. So far from it.
:-)
What gripes me is that he does things that are illegal, and gets away with it. Thats it. Just and only.
Yes, I know, I have been trolled. I lost. I'll have a nice day.
emt 377 emt 4
Aren't these influential men also deserving of Knighthood?
Tag lost or not installed.
From the sounds of it, Bill Gates has the cheapest, most common knighthood that the Queen can bestow. The Queen gets to pick the honors on her birthday, but the regular honors list is dictated by the Prime Minister.
Most likely, the Prime Minister told the Queen to give Mr Gates a knighthood, and the Queen told Blair where he could stuff his ideas, with this being the best compromise they could agree on. After all, I doubt they believe Americans would understand the insult or even know there had been one.
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
SIR CRASH-A-LOT.
This story was posted on /. and not classified as humor? Come on people. This was begging for tons of comments all modded funny. I mean geez!!
We are the coders who say NEE!
Great, now he gets validation for all his previous actions.
How does this affect the outcome of the EU lawsuits against MS?
Will it have an impact on future MS trade in Europe?
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
I'm sorry, but Gates was a Master of Manipulation. He squashed many technically better products using monopoly influence and "lock-in" marketing. The computer industry would probably be better off without Microsoft. Con artists don't deserve to be knighted.
Table-ized A.I.
So all I have to do to receive honorary knighthood is set an industry back about 20 years? I'll get right on that...
When you look at the state of the world, how can you not become a radical, liberal anarchist?
He should get the Nobel Peace Prize for his huge charity contributions to the world's children. Probably not until he retires from MicroSoft.
What worries me most is that when they tap him on the shoulder, they will cut away that Borg connection he has: http://images.slashdot.org/topics/topicms.gif
Now he can join in the English pursuits.
Can't wait till he comes over here Foxhunting,
We can use him, instead of the Fox.
I'll not mention the Beagles.
Hahahaha
nothing short of fantabulously amazing! ;)
"How like you to drag your keyboard to a gun fight." - Aaron Bedard (BANE)
Bill's desperate attempt at being a real man...
This would be most excellent. I would either wear armor everywhere I went upon my noble steed, or start to where my Jedi cloack everywhere. I can't decide which. There needs to be a StrongBad Email regarding this.
God, Root, Whats the difference?
Bill Gates getting Knighthood is about roughly the same as Yassir Arafat getting a Nobel Prize. These things are all rigged to be handouts for cronies now.
These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
Now, can we get Jesse Jackson knighted?
Gamingmuseum.com: Give your 3D accelerator a rest.
[100% ISO 646 Compliant]
SVM, ERGO MONSTRO.
"Most Excellent Order of the British Empire?" What an adventure!
For your security, this post has been encrypted with ROT-13, twice.
Well, after having played with Linux for hours on end to build my MythTV box, some may claim that those billions spent on Windows have been more than made up in increased worker productivity. What took me 30+ hours to get kind of working under Linux, I had working in 1 hour under Windows. For most of the tasks most people want to do, Microsoft has produced a good operating system. Most people don't have the time or knowledge to edit *.conf files,compile source code, etc..., they just want something that works. I'm sure at this time you want to go into a tirade about how windows doesn't work because of how many viruses Windows gets and so on. However, if another OS had the market share that Windows had, people would be writing viruses for those OSs too.
Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Most excellent? Is UK run by Bill & Ted now?
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Exactly how much money does on need to get you to RTFA and see that he can't use the title "Sir?"
All your searching needs (and free money!) - 4Lancer.net
1. Donate money to HIV/AIDS foundations, donates to Tsunami relief
2. ????
3. profit?
You may have a point in SOME instances. Especially with the recent news that he said High Schools are "obsolete" because they are not teaching what employers and colleges want. I'm sure he will try to fit microsoft into the solution somehow.
Personally, I don't think college taught me what employers want, but oh well.
-- Having a Creationist Museum is like having an Atheist place of worship
I've never seen so much humourously dry (or drily humourous) comments... Thanks, lads.
Flourescent (adj): smelling like ground wheat.
Grrr someone just defiled that Wikipedia entry right as I was reading it... I was reading the real version, and when I went to edit it, noticed it was changed to useless garbage....
All your searching needs (and free money!) - 4Lancer.net
I dont really get how much geeks really simplify to good and evil, dude.. you CANT always do good, sometimes you get in the gray area, its HOW LIFE WORKS, in the REAL world.Linux geeks like to be a pain in the ass of bill, its like the media and michael jackson.. gosh. Gates really do wonderfull things for the poor, I dont see Jobs or any other bilionare geeks doing the same.
Sometimes it's strange how the world works isn't it?
Of the Constitution states:
No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.
Office of profit? Perhaps that means someone who controls vast amounts of money.
Does this deny, and make unconstitutional Bill Gates's "reward"?
I believe that Mr. Gates is an extraordinary person. He is a great business man, promotes arts and donates his time and money to worthwhile endeavors. In the African-American community he is a somewhat of a hero. He has gone to great lengths to provide us with scholarships and jobs. You will not find many people like Mr. Gates. I believe that he is one of the greatest people of our time. He deserves the recognition.
Whatever you think of his competitive strategies you have to admit that his contribution to our advancement is substantial.
If you think the computer industry would be anywhere near as advanced without him and MS you are nucking futs.
(If at first you don't succeed, do it different next time!)
er, GCB???
is that an acronym for Grand Cyphilitico Bastardo?
Whoa! Radical!! *air guitar*
OK, so now Prince Charles gets to marry his long-time flame, Camilla (ugh... he has no taste for women whatsoever) and Bill Gates gets to be knighted by the Queen. Now, dear Britons, what would you say about becoming a republic?
That the Queen will slip with the sword. Off with his head!
Professional Politicians are not the solution, they ARE the problem.
Its a pity.
Bill Gates has done the most to damage the British software industry over the last couple of decades and yet he gets a knighthood for it! Where is the sense in that? It is absolutely unbelievable. His business, through un-competitive and restrictive illegal business practices destroyed the UKs competitive market place for OSs and software.
How about Knighthoods for the designers of the Archimedes, RISC OS, the Amiga KAOS that didn't quite make it (or was it CAOS?) in Cambridge and a hundred things more that could have been were it not for Microsoft illegal anti-commercial practices...
What has Bill Gates done to warrant such an honor? Create something useful that no one knows about? Was it the blood money he has donated to children (in order to buy more of his warez)? Perhaps someone made a mistake in chosing the software robber-baron? I suppose Typhoid Mary could get an award for infecting the most people. I suppose John Wayne Gacy could get an award for killing 33 people (quite an achievement there). So now we have Bill Gates getting an award for something. Anyone have any idea? We know it hasn't got anything to do with his business or the computer or software industries (that of course would be insane).
The queen hands these like candy, soon I think youll be able to mail order one soon, but for now you just need to say "Charles and Camilla, What a good looking couple" and you'll get the tap.
Rather amazing what illegal predatory business practises will get you isn't it? But somehow all that doesn't matter because he has enough money to be a small nation?
It's like knighting a mafia boss for services to x who, once making himself a small fortune through illegal means, turns legit and starts a x company.
This disgusts me, and worse, it belittles those that have earned their titles or honours for good reasons.
Bill Gates to Receive Honorary UK Knighthood ...
Microsoft
Posted by CmdrTaco on Tuesday March 01, @01:18PM
from the all-it-takes-is-to-make-billions-of-dollars dept.
( Read More... | 666 comments )
http://securityportal.com.ar
GCB = Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath
KCB = Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath
KBE = Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the Blue Screen of Death.
The weekly bit enbtitled: "This Week's Sign that the Apocalypse Is upon Us."
Heroscape, it's like legos combined with anachronistic wargames.
wow people need to stop with the lame steal analogies. if u create an awesome recipe for a donut and then keep the recipe a family secret, and then open up a bakery where u serve said family-secret recipe made donuts does that mean u steal money from people that buy that donut? even if ur donut is so good that it makes the other bakeries go out of business because they dont taste as good or maybe they taste as good or better but only after u've gone through the task of adding all the extras like glaze, sprinkles, chocolate, etc.? if people buy ur product ur not stealing from them, even if it's only becuase ur product is the only one around/most convenient
Was Bill Gates personally convicted of abusing the Windows monopoly, or was it Microsoft as a corporate entity that was convicted? (This isn't a redundant question.)
Probably they got a few bucks off on the XP and office licenses for the most excellent title.
George W Bush
Seriously it's like that woman knights anyone that comes by lately. Given the man has done great things with charity's (Gates) but is she in a compeition with the pope to Kight/Cannonize more people before the other dies?
In the Soviet Union, fairies tail you!
Help poke pirates in the eyepatch, arr.
MS-viruses, worms, trojans alone cost billions in lost productivity every quarter. That's not counting other security problems caused by MS' shoddy products and lack of security. Other platforms and software are largely immune to worms and viruses, at worst they are merely resistent. Then there's the lost productivity due to MS' difficult, labor intensive mainenance and egregious interoperability with competing tools. The competing tools do, in contrast, work just fine together, only Bill's tools cause trouble. MS' interoperability is poor even between other MS products. All that costs money and burns people out, which in turn costs money.
What Gates and his company did between 1993-1998 was a crime, pure and simple. He and his flunkies took a healthy, wealthy, competitive market that was good for everybody and crushed it with OEM agreements, giveaways and secret API's. This is an established truth from the US trial statement of facts.
To really put the damage in context, it's not like the company brings in any tax dollars either. It pays no taxes, so aside from campaign contriutions, nothing goes into the system. The mythical billions the company is rumored to be sitting on is either out of circulation, thus harming the economy, or fictional Enron style accounting.
Lock him up.
Beta is broken and the link to classic doesn't work. Stop wasting our time or there won't be anybody left here.
Ding dong
They will never know the simple pleasure of a monkey knife fight
Yes but it has been a profoundly negative impact.
"King" or "Emperor" seems to be more the title he's aiming for.
"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." -- George Orwell
If they're just giving these away (which is apparently the case if Big Bill is getting one), then can I have one to? Oh, and a couple extra for my friends and my dog?
Things you can say to your dog that you can't say to a girl: "How about a nice bone?"
Something about that full title just makes me visualize billg waving his lightsaber around and making whooshing noises with his voice.
Deduct a few seconds from your 15 minutes of fame. The parent was quoted on Good Morning Silicon Valley.
Gay Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the GNAA Empire
5 01/26/200501261 34336_MD/Frisell01_200px.jpg
2 6/200501261 34336_MD/20050126134336_MD.dbp.asp
Here is one example of his employies (that'll straighten things out, bwahahahaha):
http://www.idg.se/ArticlePages/200
The article is found here in case you don't think he's m$ (although in swedish):
http://www.idg.se/ArticlePages/200501/
As much as humanity has all the resources to technically end poverty, but human nature is the most important barrier to that goal.
So lets say one day when you wake up, suddenly everyone on the planet has a decent amount of money and a comfortable house. How long do you think it will stay that way before a group of people slip down the road of poverty again?
People would gamble, deal with drugs, spend their money on unnecessary things, go into debt, once again.
The originally-poor people would then think "Hey, since I've got some bit of cash on me for the first time in a long time, why not gamble it and start making more money?"
Bill Gates is the Osama bin Laden of the Internet and should be locked up for all the harm he's done, which by the way exceeds the economic damage caused by the real Osama bin Laden.
MS-viruses, worms, trojans alone cost billions in lost productivity every quarter. That's not counting other security problems caused by MS' shoddy products and lack of security. Other platforms and software are largely immune to worms and viruses, at worst they are merely resistent. Then there's the lost productivity due to MS' difficult, labor intensive mainenance and egregious interoperability with competing tools. The competing tools do, in contrast, work just fine together, only Bill's tools cause trouble. MS' interoperability is poor even between other MS products. All that costs money and burns people out, which in turn costs money.
What Gates and his company did between 1993-1998 was a crime, pure and simple. He and his flunkies took a healthy, wealthy, competitive market that was good for everybody and crushed it with OEM agreements, giveaways and secret API's. This is an established truth from the US trial statement of facts.
To really put the damage in context, it's not like the company brings in any tax dollars either. It pays no taxes, so aside from campaign contributions, nothing goes into the system. The mythical billions the company is rumored to be sitting on is either out of circulation, thus harming the economy, or are fictional Enron style accounting.
Ok. So what's left? His philantropic seem to be based on getting matching funds for purchases of expensive medications manufactured by the multi-national pharmaceuticals he has invested heavily in. The targeting of the so called gifts can also be questioned as they have the appearance of an agenda to persuade beneficiary governments to reverse policies promoting the use of open source software.
He should be locked up.
Beta is broken and the link to classic doesn't work. Stop wasting our time or there won't be anybody left here.
First off, he doesn'y give only "fractions" of his money away as someone above claimed. He gives a lot more away then I'm sure you are aware of. You have a tunneled vision and base your opinion on the facts you know of. Which are close to none.
Second, The US would not be where it is today without Microsoft. Perhaps another company would have done the same later on, but then we wouldn't be where we are. So if you enjoy the money you are making right now (and your not in the IT field, which you probably aren't) you can thank Bill Gates for making your job 100x easier.
Third, he has done many "noble" deeds. Anyone who doesn't like Bill Gates must be a complete jerk. Do you have any idea how many MILLIONS of people are alive in Africa becuaseof HIS donations? Maybe he isn't out there dodgin bullets like other heros. Maybe he isn't fighting a dragon with a 2 handed steel sword. But his acts are just as good, just performed in a different way. Maybe you should do a google define on the word "hero" and read the 6 entries and then learn your vocabulary a bit better.
Fourth, Microsoft ENCOURAGES competition. If Microsoft wasn't as big ass they were, there would be no need ofr othre software developers to push so hard. Thats a GOOD thing, for us, for the economy, for everyone.
Anyways, thats my 2 cents.