In what way is it an anachronism? Surely the fact that it is being updated means that it is still relevant?
There is something to be said for recording the usage of old hacker terminology for purely historical purposes. It is when it stops being a 'general' record and starts being hijacked by one individual that it stops being relevant to the community at large.
If they had cut all the 'fact' from the interview then it would have been very short indeed. I feel it was likely that Microsoft asked for certain embarassing bits to be cut (or if not 'embarrasing' then perhaps ones that were controversial (NSA key) or might show the company in a bad light). There is no great conspiracy about this - I would expect the PR dept for any company to do the same. I just think it was a shame that in an interview that was billed as one in which Paxman could ask any questions that they had to go in for such editing afterwards.
The audience were not stooges. I was amongst them and I know most of the rest of them. Although before the programme we were asked by the floor manager to cheer when Gates came on stage (I didn't).
Paxman got a lot more laughs than Gates did and deservedly so.
I was at the recording of the interview last Wednesday. I posted about it back then but it was just as the original story was going into archive so I guess hardly anyone saw it. See post #106 about the NSA key question that never made it.
That's it ! I remember now ! Paxman asked him about the NSA Key and described it as a backdoor for the US Government. Gates categorically denied that one existed. He was very explicit in his denial. I guess Microsoft asked for this bit to be cut.
There were at least two parts of the interview that were recorded but not broadcast. Paxman challenged Gates over the buying of "Quick and Dirty Software" (he meant QDOS) on which MSDOS was based. I can't remember what Gates' reply was to this. Shortly after this they were discussing how Gates got IBM to use MSDOS and Paxman asked about "IBM's big mistake". Gates said that at that time IBM were given the chance to buy 40% of Microsoft stock and that their mistake was not to have taken it. Whilst this is undoubtedly true in hindsight, I'm not sure why the BBC cut all this unless it was for space reasons. Perhaps someone at Microsoft leaned on them ?
I was at the recording of the interview today (will be shown Sunday 8pm BBC2). Gates was only passing through - he was on set within 2 minutes of entering the building (had just come from a meeting with the Prime Minister) and left immediately afterwards. About 1hr of recording in total. Bag searches and metal detectors before we got into the studio though there was surprisingly little security once we were in. I was sitting 10 feet from him and could have easily got to him if I had tried.
I was surprised how tall and pudgy he was. What was unsurprising was his lack of humo(u)r. Near the start Paxman told him a Bill Gates joke he had got from the web somewhere - Gates was not amused. In fact, he kept a straight face throughout most of the interview especially when he didn't like/understand a question although he did have a few mildly witty comebacks.
As you expected the interview was not focused on Linux or even DOJ although they were briefly touched upon. If he did ask any questions that had been sent in by people then they certainly weren't credited. No questions were allowed from the audience either which was a shame as we had loads. The Linux question was something like 'There is this guy called Linus Torvalds who gives away free software. Why don't you ?' Gates answered this in the free-to-buy sense rather than the freedom-of-information sense which I expect the original questioner intended. Paxman didn't pick up on this at all. I didn't think he was going to get into any technical battles and I was not disappointed. This was a shame as he allowed Gates to get away with some pretty dubious statements.
Watch the interview if you can - it's not fantastically interesting and there are no really challenging questions but it is worth it for the bit when Paxo asks him what his favourite Bill Gates joke is.
You might see me in the long shot of the audience at the end. I'm sitting immediately to the left of the gangway in the second row from the front. I'm the one who stops clapping about a minute before everyone else does.
I have a studio audience ticket for this interview. It will take place at 2.30pm Wednesday 13th Oct ie tomorrow. I assume it will be broadcast on Sunday. Better get those questions in fast . I don't expect Paxman will be able to ask anything too technical as he won't understand the answer. Hopefully he will open the questions to the audience at some stage and we'll get a chance to make Bill squirm.
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In what way is it an anachronism? Surely the fact that it is being updated means that it is still relevant?
There is something to be said for recording the usage of old hacker terminology for purely historical purposes. It is when it stops being a 'general' record and starts being hijacked by one individual that it stops being relevant to the community at large.
No other phone comes close? Not so, the SonyEricsson P800 has all the features and software you list and more.
If they had cut all the 'fact' from the interview then it would have been very short indeed. I feel it was likely that Microsoft asked for certain embarassing bits to be cut (or if not 'embarrasing' then perhaps ones that were controversial (NSA key) or might show the company in a bad light). There is no great conspiracy about this - I would expect the PR dept for any company to do the same. I just think it was a shame that in an interview that was billed as one in which Paxman could ask any questions that they had to go in for such editing afterwards.
Paxman got a lot more laughs than Gates did and deservedly so.
I was at the recording of the interview last Wednesday. I posted about it back then but it was just as the original story was going into archive so I guess hardly anyone saw it. See post #106 about the NSA key question that never made it.
That's it ! I remember now ! Paxman asked him about the NSA Key and described it as a backdoor for the US Government. Gates categorically denied that one existed. He was very explicit in his denial. I guess Microsoft asked for this bit to be cut.
There were at least two parts of the interview that were recorded but not broadcast. Paxman challenged Gates over the buying of "Quick and Dirty Software" (he meant QDOS) on which MSDOS was based. I can't remember what Gates' reply was to this. Shortly after this they were discussing how Gates got IBM to use MSDOS and Paxman asked about "IBM's big mistake". Gates said that at that time IBM were given the chance to buy 40% of Microsoft stock and that their mistake was not to have taken it. Whilst this is undoubtedly true in hindsight, I'm not sure why the BBC cut all this unless it was for space reasons. Perhaps someone at Microsoft leaned on them ?
I was surprised how tall and pudgy he was. What was unsurprising was his lack of humo(u)r. Near the start Paxman told him a Bill Gates joke he had got from the web somewhere - Gates was not amused. In fact, he kept a straight face throughout most of the interview especially when he didn't like/understand a question although he did have a few mildly witty comebacks.
As you expected the interview was not focused on Linux or even DOJ although they were briefly touched upon. If he did ask any questions that had been sent in by people then they certainly weren't credited. No questions were allowed from the audience either which was a shame as we had loads. The Linux question was something like 'There is this guy called Linus Torvalds who gives away free software. Why don't you ?' Gates answered this in the free-to-buy sense rather than the freedom-of-information sense which I expect the original questioner intended. Paxman didn't pick up on this at all. I didn't think he was going to get into any technical battles and I was not disappointed. This was a shame as he allowed Gates to get away with some pretty dubious statements.
Watch the interview if you can - it's not fantastically interesting and there are no really challenging questions but it is worth it for the bit when Paxo asks him what his favourite Bill Gates joke is.
You might see me in the long shot of the audience at the end. I'm sitting immediately to the left of the gangway in the second row from the front. I'm the one who stops clapping about a minute before everyone else does.
I have a studio audience ticket for this interview. It will take place at 2.30pm Wednesday 13th Oct ie tomorrow. I assume it will be broadcast on Sunday. Better get those questions in fast . I don't expect Paxman will be able to ask anything too technical as he won't understand the answer. Hopefully he will open the questions to the audience at some stage and we'll get a chance to make Bill squirm.