Bill Gates: Man of Mystery

So a CNet interview with Bill Gates popped up on Google News today.
Here's the link.

To be wretchedly honest, I'm not qualified to talk about the tech stuff. I don't know, and I'm really not interested enough to do the homework. I walked away from Microsoft products a while ago, and Google pays my rent. I'm biased and apathetic about Bill's latest product.

What caught my eye is how Gates talks about his company's branding. Okay, so they're the evil empire. They're not the only American MNC to exploit their customer base and provide shitty service, or leverage US law in their favor overseas and at home. Not special. Or surprising.

Do I expect Google to one day follow in Microsoft's evil footsteps? I dunno. So far they're following their "Don't Be Evil" mantra. Yahoo may not be, but Google seems to be playing nice. Their other slogan, the "organizing the world's information" bit? I think it's cool. I mean, think about that. All the world's information? At my fingertips? Jesus! Bring on that term paper, and Viva La Revalution!

So let's look at what Gates had to say about that.

"...they have this slogan that they are going to organize the world's information. Our slogan is that we are going to give people tools to let them organize the world's information. It's a slightly different approach, based on the platformization of all of our capabilities and not thinking of ourselves as the organizer.

CNET:So that would be the philosophical difference between Microsoft and what Google is up to at this point?
Gates: Well, we don't know everything they are up to, but we do know their slogan and we disagree with that."

Right. Google, the fascist state, is interfering with the basic rights of man. Like that damn dictator, Melvil Dewey and his damned dirty decimal system.

Ach.

Oh, and btw, as I'm sure you're aware, CNet is kinda pissed at Google right now. Here's a story about why. Basically, a reporter used Google and a half hour to find personal info about Google CEO Eric Schmidt, which they then, I think, published the info in a story about invasion of privacy or some such. Valid point, questionable execution. Schmidt got pissed, CNet was banned for a year from Google. Someone then informed CNet of this policy change, rather than just not return their calls. Not smart. Anyway, I think it's fair to say CNet has "views" about Google.