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Story: Unix users up in arms at Bill Gates' knighthood

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Posted by: David Hallowell (Wednesday 28 January 2004, 12:40 AM)

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Perhaps the reason the UKUUG has not commented on these other knighthoods is because they're areas that have no bearing on the UKUUG, Microsoft's way of conducting business does have a strong bearing on the computing industry that's why the comments were made.

Bill Gates' charity contributions were not the reason for his knighthood, it's good that he makes these donations but lets not forget how insignificant they are compared to his total wealth, it's like the equivalent of someone who's unemployed putting 10p in a charity box, one set of good deeds does not excuse ones other actions.

As for your comments on NT's marketshare, I'll be fair and say that I was pleasantly surprised when I used Win2k (NT5), I honestly believe that it was competition in the form of Linux that helped the motivation to make it a decent product. There is a place for Windows and in many cases (mostly on the desktop) it's the right tool for the job, but on the other hand there's many times when an alternative would be the better option.

Microsoft only have the incentive to improve their products when they either want to take over a market or they see a threat to their marketshare so if Microsoft ever succeeded in eliminating their competition expect to never see any further improvements in MS products. Take for an example Internet Explorer, it started off as a useless browser totally inferior to the Netscape of its time, but they offered it free in the hope to steal Netscape's market, people still bought Netscape, so they improved their product so that it was better in many ways to Netscape and their market share climbed to 90%, after this they stood still and there hasn't been an update to IE for ages, while browsers such as Mozilla and Opera are racing ahead, once IE's browser share slips again you can expect them to start 'innovating' features from the alternative browsers,

So basically, I don't want to see any OS with the same market share Windows currently enjoys, including Linux. I just want Microsoft to play fair and governments to stop rewarding Microsoft and Gates while they're currently abusing their position. A more level playing field would benefit everyone

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Story: Unix users up in arms at Bill Gates' knighthood

  1. Uk Unix User Group : "Microsoft's software has bee... Smithy
  2. Smithy, I can say that this user group is not rapi... David Hallowell
  3. I think Smithy, NY is off the mark. I, and I exp... Charles Curran
  4. David Hallowell :"Smithy, I can say that this user... Smithy
  5. The other point I want to take David Hallowell on... Smithy
  6. Perhaps the reason the UKUUG has not commented on... David Hallowell
  7. David Hallowell : "Bill Gates' charity contributio... Smithy
  8. Answering your next lot of comments, I have to say... David Hallowell
  9. "This is especially inpressive given that he is no... David Hallowell
  10. David Hallowell : " have to say anyone who believe... Smithy
  11. Remember I said I didn't want to see any operating... David Hallowell
  12. David Hallowell, it doesn't matter what the attach... Smithy
  13. Smithy writes: I am going to give you a quote from... James Youngman
  14. One cannot help but stare at wonder at the manner... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  15. James Youngman : "Well, most Unix mail clients don... Smithy
  16. Adebayo Omo-Dare, from your name I take it you are... Smithy
  17. Smithy, if the person who wrote the virus that att... Jonsaw
  18. Smithy, though you may speak of plundering, povert... adebayo omo-dare
  19. Ps. With regards to leaders, new/old, and corrupt... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  20. I would like to question Smithy on his knowledge a... Bascule
  21. Smithys points on the debian servers being hacked:... Bascule
  22. adebayo omo-dare asserts that : "one would say t... Smithy
  23. adebayo omo-dare : "To me what Microsoft does or d... Smithy
  24. Adebayo Omo-Dare asserts : "Here too, I care littl... Smithy
  25. According to Bascule : "Many many companies are ha... Smithy
  26. Bascule : "You also said in anything windows smoke... Smithy
  27. Jonsaw : " Smithy, if the person who wrote the vi... Smithy
  28. Smithy I think you are merely a troll. You are the... Bascule
  29. Bascule, the linux fundamentalist, screeches "You... Smithy
  30. Bascule whines: "Scalability - 2003 running on 32... Smithy
  31. Smithy, type in to google - ambassador peru nunez... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  32. Smithy, I am not at all ignorant about economic di... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  33. Adebayo Omo-Dare : "One wonders how long you have... Smithy
  34. Adebayo Omo-Dare : "Neither am I ignorant about th... Smithy
  35. smithy ' they Linux ource code was easily hacked.... Bascule
  36. Bascule :"The debian source code got stolen??? It... Smithy
  37. Bascule : "Though I agree there are far to few ben... Smithy
  38. Windows 2003 smokes Linux yet again! Figures for f... Smithy
  39. Microsoft VeriTest, a division of Lionbridge Tech... Bascule
  40. http://www.openbsd.org/ Less secure? One flaw in 7... Bascule
  41. Smithy : "Doesn't oppose the dev of Open Source So... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  42. We now go on to your issue about the Jews... Tough... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  43. Then, Smithy, there is the economy. One must say t... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  44. Smithy: "US GDP a sizzling ...." Well you appear t... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  45. One does apologise, smithy, I did mean abolition a... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  46. Bascule whines : "Microsoft VeriTest, a division... Smithy
  47. Bascule : "Less secure? One flaw in 7 years" Wrong... Smithy
  48. aAebayo Omo-Dare screeches : "Each countries gov... Smithy
  49. Adebayo Omo-Dare : "Under your principle one shoul... Smithy
  50. Adebayo Omo-Dare : "One guesses that this is one o... Smithy
  51. I couldn't find those figures you mentioned, just... azura
  52. "azura" the moronic, uneducated, semi-illiterate,... Smithy
  53. "Smithy" is clearly a troll. He has used pers... Mike
  54. "Bascule : "Less secure? One flaw in 7 y... Dash
  55. Why do you Poms moan so much? Bill Gates should ha... Michael Allan
  56. Glad to see that we are aproaching something close... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  57. Smithy, one smiles when you praise Gates for the m... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  58. With regard to your stay in Germany, Smithy, one c... Adebayo Omo-Dare
  59. hi, so what else are thay prepered to denigrate,... bryan allen
  60. I would like to invite you to this event. The cool... misterMarc
  61. Well, at the very least it's a devaluation of the... Gerard ter Beke
  62. LOL.... from what I see Smithy knows absolutely no... TS
  63. It's common knowledge that if you mention Hitler i... Anonymous

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