Excerpts from Bill Gates' Testimony nytimes.com
Bill may have looked like he swallowed a bad oyster, but he was saying some pretty funny things.
Q: Mr. Gates, isn't it the case that you told Mr. Maritz that browser share was a very, very important goal and that's why he believed it?
A: I guess now we're delving into the inner workings of Paul Maritz's mind and how he comes to conclusions?
Q: Well, let me try to ask you a question that won't require you to delve into anybody else's mind. Did you tell Mr. Maritz that browser share was a very, very important goal?
A: I know we talked about browser share being important.
Q: I'm not asking you what he said to you. I'm not asking what topic you talked about. I I'm asking you whether you told Mr. Maritz that browser share was a very, very important goal?
A: I remember that we agreed that it was an important goal. I'm not sure which one of us reached that feeling before the other.
Which brings to mind Leo Sayer, of course. Feelings, whoa whoa oah Feelings. . .
Q: Immediately before that sentence there is a statement that Microsoft needs to continue its jihad next year. Do you see that?
A: No.
Q: The sentence that says, ''Browser share needs to remain a key priority for our field and marketing efforts.'' The sentence right before that says ''we need to continue our jihad next year.'' That's the way it ends. Do you see that?
A: Now I see -- it doesn't say Microsoft.
Q: Well, when it says ''we'' there, do you understand that means something other than Microsoft, sir?
A: It could mean Brad Chase's group.
Q: Well, this is a message from Brad Chase to you, Brad Silverberg, Paul Maritz and Steve Ballmer; correct?
A: As I say, it's strange that this -- if this was a normal piece of e-mail, it wouldn't print like that. I'm not aware of any way -- maybe there is some way -- that e-mail ends up looking like this when you print it out.
Q: I wasn't the one that was asserting it was an e-mail. I don't know whether it is an e-mail or memo or what it is. All I know is it was produced to us by Microsoft. And the first line of it says ''To,'' and the first name there is ''Bradsi.'' Do you see that?
A. Uh-huh.
Q: Does that refer to Brad Silverberg?
A. Usually you can use that shorthand in typing in someone's name, but when you print out e-mail, it doesn't come out that way.
Q. Do you believe that the reference here to ''Bradsi'' is a reference to Brad Silverberg, sir?
A: Yes ....
Ah, good old Bradsi. Another one of those "junior executives" behind all that "colorful language". It's also good to know that we're not just talking about the browser war, we're talking about the Holy Browser War, declared on Dec. 7, 1995, a day that will live in infamy. Or should that be the Holy Bits of Browsing Technology War, or maybe Holey Bits? That's it for me on this one, the rest of the article goes on with this "Who's on first?" dialogue that's amusing enough by itself. I quote it here for posterity, those links don't stick around forever. . .
Cheers, Dan
Q: Now, when Brad Chase writes to you and the others, ''We need to continue our jihad next year,'' do you understand that he is referring to Microsoft when he uses the word ''we''?
A: No.
Q: What do you think he means when he uses the word ''we''?
A: I'm not sure.
Q: Do you know what he means by jihad?
A: I think he is referring to our vigorous efforts to make a superior product and to market that product.
Q: Now, what he says in the next sentence is, ''Browser share needs to remain a key priority for our field and marketing efforts;'' is that correct?
A: Yes.
Q: The field and marketing efforts were not involved in product design or making an improved browser, were they, sir?
A: No.
Q: Did you write (government exhibit 295), Mr. Gates, on or about January 5, 1996?
A: I don't remember doing so specifically, but it appears that I did.
Q: And the first line of this is, ''Winning Internet browser share is a very, very important goal for us.'' Do you see that?
A: I do.
Q: Do you remember writing that, Sir?
A: Not specifically.
Q: Now, when you were referring there to Internet browser share, what were the companies who were included in that?
A: There's no companies included in that.
Q. Well, if you're winning browser share, that must mean that some other company is producing browsers and you're comparing your share of browsers with somebody else's share of browsers; is that not so, Sir?
A: You asked me if there are any companies included in that and now -- I'm very confused about what you're asking.
Q. All right, sir, let me see if I can try to clarify. You say here ''Winning Internet browser share is a very, very important goal for us.'' What companies were supplying browsers whose share you were talking about?
A: It doesn't appear I'm talking about any other companies in that sentence.
Q: Well, sir, is a market share something that is compiled only for one company? I understand if a company has a monopoly, that may be so, but in a usual situation where a company does not have a monopoly, share ordinarily implies comparing how much of a product one company has with how much of a product another company has; correct?
A: Yes.
Q: Now, when you were talking about Internet browser share here, what companies were you talking about?
A: You're trying -- you seem to be suggesting that just because share involves comparing multiple companies, that when I wrote that sentence, I was talking about other companies. It doesn't appear that I'm talking about other companies in that sentence. I've really read it very carefully and I don't notice any other companies in there.
Q: Oh, you mean you don't see any other company mentioned in that sentence; is that what you're saying?
A: The sentence doesn't appear to directly or indirectly refer to any other companies.
Q: When you refer to an Internet browser share here, sir, what is the share of?
A: Browser usage.
Q: Of course, you don't say ''browser usage'' here, do you, sir?
A: No, it says ''share.''
Q: Now, let's say that you meant browser usage because that's what your testimony is. What browser usage were you talking about in terms of what your share of browser usage was? What browsers?
A: I'm not getting your question. Are you trying to ask what I was thinking when I wrote this sentence?
Q: Let me begin with that. What were you thinking when you...
A: I don't remember specifically writing this sentence.
Q: Does that mean you can't answer what you were thinking when you wrote the sentence?
A: That's correct.
Q: So since you don't have an answer to that question, let me put a different question.
A: I have an answer. The answer is I don't remember.
Q: You don't remember what you meant. Let me try to ask you ...
A: I don't remember what I was thinking.
Q: Is there a difference between remembering what you were thinking and remembering what you meant?
A: If the question is what I meant when I wrote it, no.
Q: So you don't remember what you were thinking when you wrote it and you don't remember what you meant when you wrote it; is that fair?
A: As well as not remember writing it.
Q: Okay. Now, let me go on to another paragraph and see whether you remember writing that or not. And that is the second paragraph, which reads, ''Apparently a lot of OEMs are bundling non-Microsoft browsers and coming up with offerings together with Internet Service providers that get displayed on their machines in a FAR'' -- and you've capitalized each of the letters in far -- ''more prominent way than MSN or our Internet browser.'' Do you see that?
A: Uh-huh.
Q: Did you write that sentence, Mr. Gates?
A: I don't remember, but I have no reason to doubt that I did.
Q: Do you remember what you were thinking when you wrote that sentence or what you meant when you wrote that sentence?
A: No.
Q: Do you remember that in January, 1996, a lot of OEMs were bundling non-Microsoft browsers?
A: I'm not sure.
Q: What were the non-Microsoft browsers that you were concerned about in January of 1996?
A: What's the question? You're trying to get me to recall what other browsers I was thinking about when I wrote that sentence?
Q: No, because you've told me that you don't know what you were thinking about when you wrote that sentence.
A: Right.
Q: What I'm trying to do is get you to tell me what non-Microsoft browsers you were concerned about in January of 1996.
A: If it had been only one, I probably would have used the name of it. Instead I seem to be using the term non-Microsoft browsers.
Q: My question is what non-Microsoft browsers were you concerned about in January of 1996?
A: I'm sure -- what's the question? Is it -- are you asking me about when I wrote this e-mail or what are you asking me about?
Q: I'm asking you about January of 1996.
A: That month?
Q: Yes, sir.
A: And what about it?
Q: What non-Microsoft browsers were you concerned about in January of 1996?
A: I don't know what you mean ''concerned''?
Q: What is it about the word ''concerned'' that you don't understand?
A: I'm not sure what you mean by it.
Q: Is ...
A: Is there a document where I use that term?
Q: Is the term ''concerned'' a term that you're familiar with in the English language?
A: Yes.
Q: Does it have a meaning that you're familiar with?
A: Yes.
Q: Using the word ''concerned'' consistent with the normal meaning that it has in the English language, what Microsoft -- or what non-Microsoft browsers were you concerned about in January of 1996?
A: Well, I think I would have been concerned about Internet Explorer, what was going on with it. We would have been looking at other browsers that were in use at the time. Certainly Navigator was one of those. And I don't know which browser AOL was using at the time, but it was another browser.
Q. What I'm asking, Mr. Gates, is what other browsers or what non-Microsoft browsers were you concerned about in January of 1996? I'm not asking what you were looking at, although that may be part of the answer, and I don't mean to exclude it, but what non-Microsoft browsers were you concerned about in January of 1996?
A: Well, our concern was to provide the best Internet support, among other things, in Windows. And in dealing with that concern, I'm sure we looked at competitive products, including the ones mentioned. |
