3 ms·

Well, maybe your dream didn't get destroyed. But bill gates and Microsoft's business practices killed real businesses. This is not my imagination, please read u

Well, maybe your dream didn't get destroyed. But bill gates and Microsoft's business practices killed real businesses. This is not my imagination, please read up the history. Those entepreuners dreams were destroyed by an unethical company. Maybe you don't think it's a big deal because winners take it all and can define what is good for the world?

untog 9y ago
I look at it this way: the entire industry was utterly cutthroat (still is, in many ways). If Bill Gates/MS didn't do what they did, I believe another company would have. That doesn't mean they are utterly innocent, but in terms of effect on my life, I'm not convinced an MS-less life would be that different. On the other hand, if Bill Gates doesn't spend money curing diseases in the third world I'm not at all convinced that someone else would come along and fill in that space. After all, they could very easily match him today with all the work there is to do.
- trophycase 9y ago
  >If Bill Gates/MS didn't do what they did, I believe another company would have You may be right, but this is a pretty toxic belief and seems to be constantly used to justify ethically questionable things.
TeMPOraL 9y ago
> But bill gates and Microsoft's business practices killed real businesses. This is not my imagination, please read up the history. Those entepreuners dreams were destroyed by an unethical company. That's, frankly, a pretty small price to pay. Entrepreneurial dreams are a dime a dozen, and many (most?) of them don't even have a good social impact. Some individuals whose dreams were "crushed" may feel sad, but unless we're talking about people losing their livelihood and ending up in poverty because of Microsoft, it's not even on the map compared to what Gates is doing now to help the world.
ajross 9y ago
> Maybe you don't think it's a big deal because winners take it all and can define what is good for the world? I think it's less of a big deal because I'm in my 40's now and think about the common good in broader terms that encompass poverty and development and not just my parochial interests as a young hacker, yeah.

untog 9y ago

I look at it this way: the entire industry was utterly cutthroat (still is, in many ways). If Bill Gates/MS didn't do what they did, I believe another company would have. That doesn't mean they are utterly innocent, but in terms of effect on my life, I'm not convinced an MS-less life would be that different. On the other hand, if Bill Gates doesn't spend money curing diseases in the third world I'm not at all convinced that someone else would come along and fill in that space. After all, they could very easily match him today with all the work there is to do.

trophycase 9y ago
>If Bill Gates/MS didn't do what they did, I believe another company would have You may be right, but this is a pretty toxic belief and seems to be constantly used to justify ethically questionable things.

TeMPOraL 9y ago

> But bill gates and Microsoft's business practices killed real businesses. This is not my imagination, please read up the history. Those entepreuners dreams were destroyed by an unethical company. That's, frankly, a pretty small price to pay. Entrepreneurial dreams are a dime a dozen, and many (most?) of them don't even have a good social impact. Some individuals whose dreams were "crushed" may feel sad, but unless we're talking about people losing their livelihood and ending up in poverty because of Microsoft, it's not even on the map compared to what Gates is doing now to help the world.

ajross 9y ago

> Maybe you don't think it's a big deal because winners take it all and can define what is good for the world? I think it's less of a big deal because I'm in my 40's now and think about the common good in broader terms that encompass poverty and development and not just my parochial interests as a young hacker, yeah.