Bullshit. Last time I'd checked, Gates had transferred more than 17 billion of his personal wealth to assorted foundations, which arebusily liquidating these securities.
They already +have+ the money. It's out of Bill Gates' pockets, gone, kaput.
Let's have a contest: everyone gets to try to guess Jon Katz's age. I don't know for sure, myself, but I can make some educated guesses based upon his use of the English language and writing style.
My guess: Katz is 27. Definitely not over 30.
I'll pony up a prize for the first person who hits the mark: a spankin' new copy of Rogets Thesaurus. It'll help you find big words and stuff.
(Lest anyone think I'm slamming the kids, I'm 28.)
Gates has donated to a host of charities and public institutions, including the foundation he set up. Foundation disburses monies directly to "worthy causes" -- the $100 million gift to the World Health Organization comes to mind.
This year alone Gates has passed ~$17 - $18 billion to charitable causes. The money/stock/whatever has already been transferred out of his control and to the orgs that he's gifted to.
Granted, Gates is a multi-billionare many times over, but I wonder how the contributions of other hi-tech billionares compare. Steve Case? Jeffy Bezos? Sun-boy?
I'm dying to know why Slashdotters aren't all over these guys.
Agreed -- yours is a good point. Some consumers may be confused by the naming. But the simple fact that consumers may misunderstand what app will work with what OS doesn't equal a conspiracy to mislead by Microsoft, which is what I thought you suggested in your first post.
Your apparent need to axe-grind about Microsoft is interfering with your analysis.
Seems a year number for Office can suggest what the latest and most featured version of Office might be -- nothing more and nothing less. I appreciate the convenience. Consumers can decide for themselves whether they want to pay for the features in the newest versions.
My experience with most non-technical computer users is that they will convince themselves that whatever computer/software combo they have "does what they need it to do". Until they have the option of easily trying out these new features, they don't know what's possible, or how much time they could be saving themselves. As someone who has used Word and MS Office since their first incarnations, I can fairly say that both the 97 and 2000 versions improved the product to the point that most consumers would want the upgrade.
The most comfortable chair I've ever put my butt into is the high-back Steelcase Criterion chair. I've tried everything else, including that $900 black mesh "Aereon" thing or whatever its called, but it seemed gimmicky to me, and wasn't as comfortable as the Criterion.
I discovered this chair while contracting for Microsoft -- they put all of their employees in it. Liked it so much that I bought one for home. If you work at MS -- even as a contract employee -- you're eligible to buy the Criterion for what MS pays for it. Email furnfac.
As an editorial enterprise, Slashdot is becoming a joke, agreed.
Slashdot's editors seem to follow one of several well-worn ruts when they write their article headers:
1) Unabashed open-source boosterism
2) Unabashed anti-Microsoft FUD (Gates as Borg! Wow guys, so clever -- it gets funnier every time I see it!) 3) Calls to arms and editorial ringleading (boycotts, more MS-as-evil-empire, petition-mongering) 4) Unattributed, unsourced rumors (again, usually coupled with the alleged neferious doings of big companies) 5) Trumped-up reports of Microsoft's failures. Trumped-up reports of open-source successes. 6) Self-conscious, attention-seeking examinations of Slashdot and the Slashdot "community".
Not surprisingly, the discussion that results fits the mold cast by the editors. Keep up the yellow journalism, editors, and the "Slashdot community" you cultivate won't be worth listening to.
Slashdot Mirror
They already +have+ the money. It's out of Bill Gates' pockets, gone, kaput.
It's pathetic. Taco boy, spend a quarter or three in ethics class.
Let's have a contest: everyone gets to try to guess Jon Katz's age. I don't know for sure, myself, but I can make some educated guesses based upon his use of the English language and writing style.
My guess: Katz is 27. Definitely not over 30.
I'll pony up a prize for the first person who hits the mark: a spankin' new copy of Rogets Thesaurus. It'll help you find big words and stuff.
(Lest anyone think I'm slamming the kids, I'm 28.)
Any takers?
This year alone Gates has passed ~$17 - $18 billion to charitable causes. The money/stock/whatever has already been transferred out of his control and to the orgs that he's gifted to.
Granted, Gates is a multi-billionare many times over, but I wonder how the contributions of other hi-tech billionares compare. Steve Case? Jeffy Bezos? Sun-boy?
I'm dying to know why Slashdotters aren't all over these guys.
I think this is one of those non-features for people who are convinced their last word processor "did everything they needed it to do".
Agreed -- yours is a good point. Some consumers may be confused by the naming. But the simple fact that consumers may misunderstand what app will work with what OS doesn't equal a conspiracy to mislead by Microsoft, which is what I thought you suggested in your first post.
Seems a year number for Office can suggest what the latest and most featured version of Office might be -- nothing more and nothing less. I appreciate the convenience. Consumers can decide for themselves whether they want to pay for the features in the newest versions.
My experience with most non-technical computer users is that they will convince themselves that whatever computer/software combo they have "does what they need it to do". Until they have the option of easily trying out these new features, they don't know what's possible, or how much time they could be saving themselves. As someone who has used Word and MS Office since their first incarnations, I can fairly say that both the 97 and 2000 versions improved the product to the point that most consumers would want the upgrade.
I discovered this chair while contracting for Microsoft -- they put all of their employees in it. Liked it so much that I bought one for home. If you work at MS -- even as a contract employee -- you're eligible to buy the Criterion for what MS pays for it. Email furnfac.
As an editorial enterprise, Slashdot is becoming a joke, agreed.
Slashdot's editors seem to follow one of several well-worn ruts when they write their article headers:
Not surprisingly, the discussion that results fits the mold cast by the editors. Keep up the yellow journalism, editors, and the "Slashdot community" you cultivate won't be worth listening to.