THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 15, 1996 TAG: 9607120007
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 44 lines
With the naming of Bill Gates (chairman of the Microsoft Corp.) as the world's richest man for the second year in a row, it seems that his image is sealed in history as one of the greatest businessmen of all time. And Americans seem content to have his image fade into the background of their memories of pop history, as if Mr. Gates is one of the very icons that his software has popularized: a sort of self-created cartoon character.
Bill Gates is not a cartoon character, however, nor is his image fading - running in the background, perhaps, like his multi-tasking software, but not fading. In fact, the 89 percent of Americans who do not own a personal computer is a number that will shrink vastly in the next few years, and the control of the other 11 percent of the market that Bill Gates and Microsoft have attained in the past few years will carry through to the remaining market share. That is, as the other 89 percent gets with the program, Bill Gates' influence will continue to grow. Simple math says that if Bill is the world's richest man after selling to only 11 percent of a growing market, then does it not follow that his wealth will increase by ninefold?
Monetary wealth will not be relevant, however, in the face of Bill's power gained from controlling that much of the computer-software market. His recent thrashing of the Justice Department has left his monopolistic practices to run free, and without a governmental voice like the Justice Department to warn the American public, Bill Gates is essentially operating above the law. Most Americans do not seem to mind, however, because they think that he is only computers and software and that neither will affect them as non-technology people.
The fact is that Bill Gates is going to use his power to make sure that every single American is directly dependent on a computer and therefore will absolutely need his product.
If this sounds radical, just watch the technology headlines in the coming weeks. Bill Gates is taking over the Internet with his lawyers and his money, and before 2000, he will make the Internet the necessary lifeline of this nation's commerce.
Gates wants total control, and Americans need to realize that now instead of dreamily heroizing him.
KENNETH GARDNER
Norfolk, July 2, 1996 by CNB