Windows and the man behind it get embarased!

[Soul Sojourner]

I seem to be confusing you in quite a few threads, sometimes it's hard to pick up on the subtler sarcasm that I tend to use to get my point across.

What I was trying to say was that the only thing Bill Gates revolutionized was stealing the intellectual property of others and using it to become the richest man in the world.

-420

[snapback]30249[/snapback]

Oh. Well, I wasn't actually saying he did anything great, or revolutionalized anything, I was playing off of Cannixx's post with sarcasm, but also pointing out that someone would have done something similiar to the computer industry, if Bill Gates had not. So you're comment is indirectly towards Cannixx rather than myself.

[Throbblefoot]

That depends entirely on what your idea of success is.

[snapback]30234[/snapback]

I meant by ones' own idea, of course. By Bill Gates's idea of success, no one here will ever be as successful. It's the closest thing I've seen to a statistical impossibility since Cher won an Oscar. I'll admit I'm wrong next time Warren Buffet hands one of us $37 billion.

But by your definiton, Talon? Only Belog knows.....

-Throbblefoot

[420]

Oh. Well, I wasn't actually saying he did anything great, or revolutionalized anything, I was playing off of Cannixx's post with sarcasm, but also pointing out that someone would have done something similiar to the computer industry, if Bill Gates had not. So you're comment is indirectly towards Cannixx rather than myself.

[snapback]30252[/snapback]

I still say Bill Gates is an exceptional case, someone else may have tried to do what he did but he is truly a king among thieves.

-420

[Cannixxxx]

I not once said in my post bill gates hadnt borrowed other peoples ideas. When i say "borrowed" i mean blatently stole of course. Yes he did steal Apples Graphical User Interface and idea of the Mouse.

Bill gates is an evil theif? Him not being an evil theif isnt a prerequisite of my points that:

-Microsoft took computers and commercialised them, allowing the world of computers to -expand exponentially.

-The windows OS is actually not that bad.

-Bill gates is a genius.

-He deserves the money

Now the last point i concur because apple probably wouldnt have done what microsoft had done with their own ideas. But the success that is microsoft has not came from a mouse, nor a gui. It has come from the way they have dominated a market of operating systems and software directed at average joe which no one was really doing before.

[Anheg]

I'll admit I'm wrong next time Warren Buffet hands one of us $37 billion.
-Throbblefoot

[snapback]30255[/snapback]

The idea of a nonprofit cherity with 50 BILLION dollars to donate to good causes is a great thing, but I dont know if I would trust Bill Gates with it.

[420]

It has come from the way they have dominated a market of operating systems and software directed at average joe which no one was really doing before.

[snapback]30258[/snapback]

Which is called a "monopoly" and is against the law.

-420

[Soul Sojourner]

Which is called a "monopoly" and is against the law.

-420

[snapback]30280[/snapback]

There's still other choices. It is not yet a monopoly. If you want to see a monopoly, take a look at some things the government has control of, like schooling.

[Mo]

Which is called a "monopoly" and is against the law.

-420

[snapback]30280[/snapback]

There's a huge difference between a monopoly and the fact that everyone only wants to buy or only knows to buy one product.  There's nothing illegal about being in an industry which has almost an infinitely large barrier of entry.

[420]

There's nothing illegal about being in an industry which has almost an infinitely large barrier of entry.

[snapback]30297[/snapback]

Except when you steal the intellectual property of other companies and use it to drive that company out of business. Rinse and repeat. That's Bill Gate's mantra.

-420

[Ser Red Ronnet Connington]

Except when you steal the intellectual property of other companies and use it to drive that company out of business. Rinse and repeat. That's Bill Gate's mantra.

-420

[snapback]30303[/snapback]

I dont know much about Bill Gates, or Microsoft.

But how did he steal intellectual property from a company(my understanding is thats illegal), and why was he not sued big time for it?

[Soul Sojourner]

Except when you steal the intellectual property of other companies and use it to drive that company out of business. Rinse and repeat. That's Bill Gate's mantra.

-420

[snapback]30303[/snapback]

Still doesn't make it a monopoly. There are other competitors.

[420]

But how did he steal intellectual property from a company(my understanding is thats illegal), and why was he not sued big time for it?

[snapback]30307[/snapback]

He has been sued multiple times by many companies, but he has enough money to pay them off.

Just a few examples:

-Word's spell check is actually a program called Grammatix, which was a 3rd party Windows 3.0 Word Perfect grammar checker.

-Anyone who used Norton Utilities before Windows 95 will recognize Window's disk defragentation progam.

-MS-DOS was an illegally altered and sold IBM operating system.

The list goes on and on but only us real old PC techs remember all the convoluted legal battles that Microsoft was able to tie these poor companies up in. However, some of us will never forget.

Just like the Hell's Angels, Microsoft can claim to be reformed and honest now but that doesn't excuse them from their past sins against humanity.

-420

[Mo]

Bottom line here is if you can steal someone IP and get away with it then good for you.  If they had enough money to settle lawsuits, then good for the companies who sued them because they obviously got paid off nicely and now happily live in beach side villas.  If the actions of Microsoft against their competitors do not hurt the end consumer, which from how I see things it has not, then so be it.  Plus Microsofts actions do not seem to be hurting society, in fact they seem to have the opposite effect.  It is widely known that Bill Gates donates massive amounts of his fortune to humanitarian efforts.  That's a lot more than can be said of others.  If the world could be rid of some corporations, Microsoft would not be on the list, rather companies that have adverse effects on society such as the likes of Walmart and the oil cartel should go.

Everyone loves a good thief.  That's why companies patent just about everything.  So that companies like Microsoft who have deep pockets will infringe on their patents and pay them off in court.  Geez the small companies probably dream about Microsoft stealing their tech, or being bought out by them. Please Bill Gates, please steal my IP so I can become rich. Good business practice if you ask me.

[420]

Everyone loves a good thief.

[snapback]30323[/snapback]

Only thieves and cheaters think that way. Bill Gates hurt society because his status and "success" have caused some people think what he did was fine, morally and economically. I may be an American but it doesn't mean I condone my county's complete lack of morals when it comes to business practices and politics.

-420

[Anheg]

I may be an American but it doesn't mean I condone my county's complete lack of morals when it comes to business practices and politics.

-420

[snapback]30325[/snapback]

He means the majority of the countrys lack of morals. Don't insult all of us when its only true about most.

[Mo]

He aint' the only one.  There's probably a new patent infringement lawsuit launched every hour some where in the world.

Anyway communism ftw