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Chyist Dec 11, 1998 B
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========================================================================= Date: Fri, 11 Dec 1998 23:25:34 +0000
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Garrett Winters <gargoyle@IOL.IE>
Subject: Re: Bill Gates on free software
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Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
Bruce Fancher wrote
>On the same note I was surprised at how tame the infamous letter from Gates to the hobbyists was. I had read about it in various books and articles and always had the impression that it was far nastier than it actually was. All he says in the letter is that he worked hard to write the software and he expects to be paid for its use. It was not unreasonable to send this letter since clearly people were pirating BASIC en masse. I think that the howls of outrage in response were out of guilt more than justifiable anger.
Maybe he went easy on them considering he himself passed off DOS as his own when it clearly wasn't. I can't recall the name of the true developer but I suppose that's the point, he didn't want to sell out to IBM and thus Gates was given his chance.
I know I would feel some guilt over it.
Garrett Winters
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Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Garrett Winters <gargoyle@IOL.IE>
Subject: Re: Bill Gates on free software
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
Bruce Fancher wrote
>On the same note I was surprised at how tame the infamous letter from Gates to the hobbyists was. I had read about it in various books and articles and always had the impression that it was far nastier than it actually was. All he says in the letter is that he worked hard to write the software and he expects to be paid for its use. It was not unreasonable to send this letter since clearly people were pirating BASIC en masse. I think that the howls of outrage in response were out of guilt more than justifiable anger.
Maybe he went easy on them considering he himself passed off DOS as his own when it clearly wasn't. I can't recall the name of the true developer but I suppose that's the point, he didn't want to sell out to IBM and thus Gates was given his chance.
I know I would feel some guilt over it.
Garrett Winters
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