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Your Chance to Meet Bill Gates
tcak writes "From the CNET article: "You could meet the chairman of Microsoft, but you'll have to profess a passion for Windows first. Microsoft is looking for true stories about people using Windows computers to pursue a passion or hobby. The company plans to use them in a marketing blitz tied to the 20th anniversary of Windows' debut. ""
You could meet the chairman of Microsoft, but you'll have to profess a passion for Windows first.
How many of us will pretend to love windows just to get a chance to relive some fond memories?
Microsoft is looking for true stories about people using Windows computers to pursue a passion or hobby.
So now they have to bribe Windows users for positive reviews, eh? Seems about right.
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
...will they pat me down first before i meet him?
who is she? leave a comment!
Why do I get the feeling that this is going to be like Apple's Switch ads?
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An employee suggested to me that we buy Windows for few offices here as an evaluation. I was skeptical at first but he explained the benefits of using it for our employee's day-to-day notekeeping and organization. So I decided to let him install Windows (Windows 95 I think) into 5 offices to see how the employees got on. Besides, our IT manager had been using Windows in his office and it seemed to work fine, why not try it on the client offices?
Once he'd got Windows up and running we let the users try it out. It all seemed fine to start with: Windows was a pretty good replacement for DOS and the users could still do their work as normal.
Alas it did not stay that way. After a few days, I had lost count of the number of complaints received from users who could not find things they were used to (like the command line) or tasks they could not perform that they previously could with the DOS. The constant crashing began to make using Windows a burden on our office supplies. The final straw came when one employee lost several hours work when Windows suddenly had an error reading from our network and corrupted his pr0n collection.
Needless to say, the Windows team offered no support whatsoever. I made the employee remove Windows from the offices and lets just say he's not with us anymore.
When I'm at work, I use a Dell PC running Windows XP to open my VNC sessions on the linux grid to write new simulators as well as check on the progress of currently executing ones, as well as pulling up my VNC terminal from my iMacG5 at home to peruse personal email.
Do I get to meet Bill now?
Bill Gates: Buy him out, boys! Oh, you don't think I became the richest man in the world by writing checks, do you?
I remember when I passionately threw my windows 98 laptop at the ground... does that count?
Rich Gentlemen Hide - The Existential Comic
A lot of people seem to be passionate about Macs, Linux and some Unix variants. But I've never known anyone who is really passionate about windows, some people prefer it to other operating systems but nobody really seems to love it. I could understand apple doing this, but I think Microsoft might have difficulty finding people who really love windows.
I'd like to thank Mr Bill Gates for his product because it does drive my passion: to be involved with a hobby project that provides better software than his professional company does.
Do I win?
I have used Windows for many years and now have a huge collection of porn/spyware. Does this count as an obsession/hobby?
...and he grinned, like a fox eating shit out of a wire brush.
Anyone here old enought to remember Death Race 2000? Remember why Frankenstein (David Carradine) wanted so badly to win the race?
^_^
____
~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey
I want to win just to pull the old Chris Farley interview from SNL.
Me: Remember that time you released windows?
Bill: Yeah
Me: That was awesome!
/. ++
Hi There Bill, please consider me !
:-
I use Windows to persue my hobbies, which include
phishing, spamming, cracking and distributing illegal files via p2p !
I have a real passion for windows !
A slashdotting - you get the stick first and then the carrot !
Sounds like Uncle Bill is taking a page from Nature Boy's playbook. Filter those who have access to you so you never have to hear an opposing opinion.
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act!" -- George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair)
I use windows to watch porn. You AIN'T SEEN more passion than that!
Send email from the afterlife! Write your e-will at Dead Man's Switch.
...this would be it.
Seriously, what is the point of posting this to Slashdot? No, REALLY? Is this some kind of group anger management therapy?
I use my windows XP box and DS3 connection at work to download all of my linux ISOs.
but I wouldn't mind being in his will.
Real_men_don't_need_spacebars.
When I see the reaction I get everytime I post on French Clubic.com on why people use Windows when they could do what they do free with Linux or other, I can tell you that some people are fanatic about Windows, if I'm not called troll I got something like "You bloody OpenSource freak, why would I not use Windows when it is free and I can get tons of warez game on it..." Does using pirated Windows qualify?
Balmer hawking Windows when it was first released.
your stake, mallet and holy water.
I used to love Windows for... six years ago? Ten years ago I thought that the alternatives for Windows did suck. Boy how I grown up now. The last time I was impressed by Microsoft was with Win XP, but now later on I realised how indiffrent it was to Win2K.
:)
Boy, I regret bashing Macintosh in elementary school years...
And oh, there is alot of Windows fans. I know, becuse I seen them. And most of the time, they're really aren't a nerd, or they're a hardcore gamer. Which is a type of nerd too infact...
I would gladly meet Bill gates thought, even if Steve Ballmer would be a more funny guy.
So that at the News Conference in front of all the world media, with Bill at your side, you say, "Actually, I always use [Insert favorite Distro here] for actually doing work."
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
Why do I have this vision of Gates dressed as Santa and a line of geeks is waiting to sit on his lap?
"Hi, um, Bill, er, um, Mr. Gates. I love Windows so much, I have the logo tattoed on my heiny. Want to see it?"
"What?? That's copyright infringement!! Guards, place this manboy under arrest!!"
The thing that really bugs me about Microsoft's products is how they'll fuck over paying customers.
Here's an old by great example. Back when Win95 was released you could not natively use long file names with 16-bit apps. However, there was a product called "Name-It!" which did allow that function. In other words it was possible, but Microsoft chose NOT to implement it. Why? Because long file names was a great feature and it would give incentive to users to upgrade to new 32-bit programs.
Another great example is Messenger, the chat program not the service. Microsoft has made it nearly impossible to get rid of. Even if you edit your sysoc.inf file and uninstall Messenger, it'll suddenly come back. Even if you delete the subfolder under Program Files, it'll mysteriously come back. Obviously Microsoft considers its chat war against AOL more important than ease of use for users.
And of course there's product activation. We were told it was to stop piracy, but that was bull-shit. You can easy obtain pirated copies of XP. Let's face it, if it product activation really worked, then why is Microsoft implementing its anti-piracy feature for people downloading software? And even more importantly, if piracy has been decreased, then why is XP Microsoft's most expensive OS? Why aren't they passing the savings back to use? Once again, the real purpose of product activation is to screw over the paying customer who wants to install XP on both of his systems.
And lets not forget out Microsoft's Office products are constantly screwing with file formats to make the later versions incompatible with earlier versions. Once again, this is NOT done to make it easier for paying customers. It's merely leverage to get those customer paying again and again.
It'd be really hard to be passionate FOR Microsoft's products. It's hard to be passionate for anything that nickel and dimes you at every turn. That treats you like a criminal. And sees you merely as a cash cow to be milked at every chance.
If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
A lot of us got our start with non-MS OS's, but we all owe Billy a thank-you for making PC's available to non-business's.
If it wasn't for MS, IBM would prolly still be stong-arming the MainFrame Only sales pitch. Yes Apple was first, but it just didn't catch on the way that Windows did.
I don't like his products (although Outlook2003 is damn spiffy), I don't like his embrace/engulf style, but I do love the fact that without him I wouldn't have the career that I do today. I owe him thanks.
C64 -> WFWG 3.11 -> OS/2 v3 & v4 -> Linux
I believe that MS-DOS 6.22 was the best OS that Microsoft has ever made.
Without the millions of home PC's running Windows, we would still be using 486's running at 100MHz.
Thank-you Bill. Now please just go away.
"The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." ~Plato (427-347 BC)
"I didn't get rich by writing a lot of checks!"
Bill if your gonna buy reviews, use cash like the the hardware and gaming industries. Stop being a cheapass!
I find screens fascinating. Just by looking at a screen, you can learn anything in the realm of human knowledge. There is no limit to the things one can learn by applying yourself to screens.
When writing, I find the word "of" to be a significant help in stringing together words into coherent sentences. I am so grateful to my elementary school teachers for introducing me to this wonderful word.
I cannot get the idea of death out of my mind. It haunts me, it consumes me, it puzzles me. I think about it endlessly.
Is there any wonder why I have a deep and abiding love for Windows?
Sounds similar to GWB's town hall events. :/
You have a shot at talking to the president, but first you have to pledge support.
"Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
Oh yeah, Bill Gates is teh bomb.
Second Prize: Two meetings with Bill Gates.
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
Yeah, I'm passionate about Windows. After using it for 10 years I came to so passionately hate it that I stopped using it. And then I watched as all my friends and family got passionate about Windows and buy Macs.
The Your Potential. Our Passion campaign has always bothered me (again, passionately) because Microsoft doesn't make any products that have anything to do with any of the things shown in their ads. They can't make you an astronaut, fashion designer, or bass player. Clearly they're just selling an image--but it's Apple's image that they're selling and they're not even doing a good job at it.
If they really want to find people who love Windows they should just look for cars with Windows stickers on them. I see Apple and Tux stickers all over the place and with a million percent more market share there should be a million times more people so passionate about their OS that they celebrate it with a sticker on their car. No, I've never seen one either, but you figure they've got to exist somewhere.
is masochism.
Windows does it for me every time.
Thank you Windows.
cyn, free software and *nix operating systems enthusiast.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
Windows Zelots push the fact that they put in a lot of time and effort into it, and they just can't turn back now.
I think you're right:
Me at Work: I just installed Messenger Plus on 6.2 instead of installing 7.0, now I can turn off the ads. ...
Actual MS Zealot at Work: That's full of spyware, why not make a request to MS for that feature in the next version of MSN and wait for that?
Me:
At least zealots will try to defend their position, or kill you when you argue with them. I was provided no such relief.
I read Slashdot for the articles.
You get to meet Steve Ballmer (aka Darth Monkeyboy) who will dance the forbidden dance of seduction!
If that doesn't work, you get to meet Guido and Fat Tony.
I might know what I'm talkin' about, but then again, this is Slashdot...
Where's my chance to meet Steve? I'd be happy to babble on endlessly about how iMovie, iPhoto and the iPod have changed my life, hobbies, etc. or what a thing of beauty my G4 Cube is.
I actually would enjoy talking with Bill, but I can't generate the same amount of enthusiasm when talking about Office or the TabletPC I use at work.
Sigh.
Once you lick the lollipop of mediocrity, you'll suck forever!
1. The Windows User is condemned to edit the Registry just to get a program to work.
2. The software lock-in is laid upon him.
3. His first Blue Screen Of Death.
4. He meets his confounded smart-ass know-it-all nephew, who uses Linux.
5. Irving his neighbour is called in to try to fix the damned computer.
6. Windows User's hard disk is wiped by a virus written in VB Script.
7. His second Blue Screen Of Death.
8. He meets the women of P2P pr0n but cannot see them because Windows Media Player will not enable him to play files with DRM content.
9. His third Blue Screen Of Death.
10. He is stripped of his money upgrading to the latest version of Microsoft Office.
11. He is mortified by Clippy.
12. He distributes a Word doc without realizing that "hidden" text can be made visible; he loses his job.
13. He visits a site with MS Internet Explorer and hackers in Vladivostok change his local settings.
14. He is laid to rest waiting for Longhorn.
Rich And Stupid is not so bad as Working For Rich And Stupid.
Post something like the parent.
Windows is easier because it is the market leader and almost every bit of hardware or commercial software that you find is designed for it. Chances are that you also "grew up" using it and the knowledge that you gained was bit by bit and mostly painless. The windows environment comparable to the American system of weights and measures -- everyone (in the US) uses it, everyone has some knowledge about it, and everything is designed for it. I know by looking at a bolt if it is 5/16 of an inch, if you asked me how many milimeters, I'd have to think. Even if metric "makes more sense" it won't "just work" for me unless I retrain myself. Linux has made things easier and with some of the Live CDs things mostly just work, but there is usually some retraining and tinkering for me at least.
I know of some people who use windows to pursue their hobby. They reverse-engineer it and write samba or wine.
AccountKiller
Got time? Spend some of it coding or testing