Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

thegatesnotes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 171 posts

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#31

Post by rplnt »

tptacek wrote: post #17
paul_f wrote: post #2

I am proud that the technology industry, of which I am a part, has created Bill Gates, a living saint.

I don't think he's a saint. I think a lot of people on HN, given the same resources Gates has, would do substantially similar things with their lives. It seems like incredibly rewarding and important work. I'm just really glad he chose to do it.

One could hope so.. but given the number of millionaires (I mean tens and hundreds if not thousands of millions) all over the world not doing this makes me thing it would be like that (of course HN isn't representative of the world, but still).

(I interpreted your "a lot" as most, given the small number of people here)

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#32

Post by pizza234 »

tptacek wrote: post #13
Daishiman wrote: post #5

I wish he were to post something similar regarding climate change and energy developments.

I wish someone was working as hard on climate change as Gates is on preventable disease in the developing works. But I do not wish that Gates worked any less diligently on the problems he's chosen. Global poverty and disease in the developing world are, particularly in the way they stifle the potential of a huge fraction of the world's people, root causes of most of our other big problems.

"Global poverty and disease in the developing world are, particularly in the way they stifle the potential of a huge fraction of the world's people, root causes of most of our other big problems."

No, they're definitely not the root causes. There's plenty of interest from the richer countries to keep poor countries in such condition, that is the root cause.

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#33

Post by dbecker »

mateuszb wrote: post #4

Things you might have missed in 2013: The Gates Foundation's Hypocritical Investments http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/12/gates-foundat...

Over 200 million people get malaria each year, and approximately 1 million die. [1]

If the Gates Foundation money managers think holding Coca-Cola stock will help fund their fight against the disease, that seems like an extremely easy call.

[1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22305225

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#34

Post by mgkimsal »

rplnt wrote: post #31
tptacek wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think he's a saint. I think a lot of people on HN, given the same resources Gates has, would do substantially similar things with their lives. It seems like incredibly rewarding and important work. I'm just really glad he chose to do it.

One could hope so.. but given the number of millionaires (I mean tens and hundreds if not thousands of millions) all over the world not doing this makes me thing it would be like that (of course HN isn't representative of the world, but still). (I interpreted your "a lot" as most, given the small number of people here)

There are a load of 'millionaires' that are still busy keeping their company going/growing, which is where their money comes from. The people like Bill Gate - the billionaires many times over - they have the luxury of time to decide what to do, and the money to make it happen. No doubt there are many millionaires with the luxury of free time, but probably not as many as you think. Meaning, if they stopped doing what they're doing, the money would mostly go away pretty quickly.

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#35

Post by icegreentea »

dbalan wrote: post #19

Health activists in India, observers the states push for pentavalent vaccines with suspicion. They are more expensive and does not really provide the cost-to-benefit.Also, experts are divided on the fact that there are 18 deaths reported on which state has confirmed 3 being caused by the vaccine. EDIT: Context - gates pushes pentavalent vaccine being the exciting thing for next year. [1] http://www.downtoearth.org.in…

Ugh, it's seriously hard to read those articles. The writing is just off enough a bit to make it super jarring to read.

In summary: 2 million doses delivered, 3 doses per child, 18 reported deaths (of which two apparently were in child who didn't take the vaccine at all). Depending on the sources, the actual number of deaths caused by the vaccine is 3 or up to 16. This is ontop of a base infant mortality rate of 12 deaths per 1000 infants per year. Also controversy over the actual need to vaccine Hep B and Hib (the two additional vaccines added to the original 3-combo vaccine), over spending their resources on other vaccines.

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#36

Post by matthewmacleod »

I don't really get the canonisation.

I'm very happy the the Gates' foundation is doing good work. You'd be a fool to say that it wasn't. However, I don't believe that the tech industry should be proud as a result, nor do I think that there is a particular difference between the foundation and some other charities, nor do I understand the obvious astroturfing.

I especially don't think that the act of charity somehow excuses the dodgy business practices or Microsoft or the long-term damage done to the tech industry.

So we should be grateful that the Gates' money is being used to positive ends. But that certainly doesn't make Bill a saint, and I suspect that this hyperbole and short-term memory-ism can fuel the backlash.

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#37

Post by mateuszb »

tptacek wrote: post #7
mateuszb wrote: post #4

Things you might have missed in 2013: The Gates Foundation's Hypocritical Investments http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/12/gates-foundat...

Oh for fuck's sake. How do you think a double-digit-billion endowment gets managed? By Bill Gates sitting around with a copy of the Wall Street Journal and a cup of coffee, picking stocks? No. The money manager roles for the Gates Foundation are extremely serious, and extremely high-status. The guy who runs money management for the Gates Foundation was the former CFO of Merck. Presumably, managing the endowment for a…

Dude, wtf. How about a private juvenile detention centers ran by a company with a history of child abuse in those prisons? At least more due diligence?

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#38

Post by tptacek »

graycat wrote: post #29
tptacek wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think he's a saint. I think a lot of people on HN, given the same resources Gates has, would do substantially similar things with their lives. It seems like incredibly rewarding and important work. I'm just really glad he chose to do it.

And what is the role of his wife and her schooling from nuns?

I don't know, but modern Catholic nuns are kind of bad-ass. For instance, the Ursulines who taught Melinda Gates recently gave a middle finger to the Catholic hierarchy and vocally defended Gates' work despite its support for contraception.

Wherever you look for close-minded reactionary people stuck in the 1950s chastising members of their own church for unapproved good works, chances are you'll see nuns on the other side of the argument.

I don't doubt that there are a whole lot of bad nuns out there (though just typing those words seems kind of silly to me), but in the modern organized faith they seem like one of the bright spots.

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#39

Post by tptacek »

pizza234 wrote: post #32
tptacek wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish someone was working as hard on climate change as Gates is on preventable disease in the developing works. But I do not wish that Gates worked any less diligently on the problems he's chosen. Global poverty and disease in the developing world are, particularly in the way they stifle the potential of a huge fraction of the world's people, root causes of most of our other big problems.

"Global poverty and disease in the developing world are, particularly in the way they stifle the potential of a huge fraction of the world's people, root causes of most of our other big problems." No, they're definitely not the root causes. There's plenty of interest from the richer countries to keep poor countries in such condition, that is the root cause.

Waiting for the drone strikes to take out Bill Gates then.

Re: Good News You Might Have Missed in 2013

#40

Post by mateuszb »

tptacek wrote: post #28
jchrisa wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Universities can (and sometimes do) take a more ethical aim than some other funds. Example: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinvestment_from_South_Africa...

The article we're talking about does not accuse the Gates Foundation of investing in apartheid South Africa.

Yes, it just says he invests in oil companies in Africa and child detention centers. I'm sorry you just are familiar with the mcdonalds logo and nothing else.
Post reply on HN