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30th Anniversary of Gates' Letter to HCC

suso writes "30 years ago today, Bill Gates wrote the infamous Open Letter to Hobbyists about licensing of Altair BASIC to the Homebrew Computer Club. Looking back it's interesting to read this emotionally written document as it is probably Gate's first publicly written opinion about licensing software." From the letter: "The fact is, no one besides us has invested a lot of money in hobby software. We have written 6800 BASIC, and are writing 8080 APL and 6800 APL, but there is very little incentive to make this software available to hobbyists. Most directly, the thing you do is theft. What about the guys who re-sell Altair BASIC, aren't they making money on hobby software? Yes, but those who have been reported to us may lose in the end. They are the ones who give hobbyists a bad name, and should be kicked out of any club meeting they show up at."

7 of 544 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Attitude hasn't changed much by argoff · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    .... he still hates casual software piracy ...

    No he doesn't. Microsoft has more coppied software than any other commercial company on the planet. Even the very word "piracy" and others like "intellectual property" is loaded and a lie. Yeah... I guess they have no inventive to monopolize things.

    See essay: Straight Talk About Copyrights

  2. Re:Attitude hasn't changed much by HardCase · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Hyperbole, thy name is IgnoramusMaximus.

  3. Re:Attitude hasn't changed much by Ancil · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    Bill Gates hasn't changed much in 30 years! He still hates casual software piracy
    Yeah. In other news, Bill Ford still hates people who steal cars from the assembly plant in Norfolk instead of paying for them.

    Go figure.. Something about having to pay his workers and suppliers. Doesn't he know that Crown Victorias want to be free??

  4. Re:Great Slashdot grammar, as usual by dasnov · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Don't correct people, unless you know what the hell you are talking about.

    That was the point I was trying to make to the parent, of the other post I created. It appears that you also missed a comma in the above quote, I took the liberty of adding it.

    And, by the way, I think "slashdot" is spelled with an "sl", not an "sh".

    Actually, I believe it would be:

    And, by the way, I think "slashdot" is spelled with a "sl", not a "sh".

    Note the proper usage of 'a' instead of 'an', because the quoted text started with a consonant, not a vowel.

  5. Re:Attitude hasn't changed much by rts008 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Dude, get off of it- you already labeled yourself correctly with your luser name.
    If it galls you, tough shit...you made your bed, now you can sleep in it.

    "As comprehensive, eloquent, well-researched, logical, meticulously detailed responses go, this one is a doozie."

    You should run for office, or become a RIAA lawyer, it seems to go with your theme.

    --
    Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti
  6. Re:compare with stallman... by happymedium · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Too bad Stallman still ain't done.

  7. Oh dear by ishmaelflood · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    You've upset some lame ass mods who have never tried to earn a living by selling their own creations.

    Hey losers, my employer pays me to create things which he sells. He only sells them if people find they are useful, and better, in some way, then the competition. If people just take those things instead of paying for them, he won't be able to pay me for the next design.

    I mean, are you guys completely fucking stupid or what?