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This is not fair to Steve Jobs. We don't have a full life to judge him by. If this writer had to judge Bill Gates 10 years ago, he would have fallen short of Gates now.
This is not fair to Steve Jobs. We don't have a full life to judge him by. If this writer had to judge Bill Gates 10 years ago, he would have fallen short of Gates now.
I disagree. Apple's cultural disdain for philanthropy is well known and comes directly from the top. The most valuable company in the world gives squat to charity when compared with their corporate peers (Microsoft, Google, etc.) and they look even worse when compared with financial equals like Exxon or Walmart.
I mention the above to state only one thing... Practically everyone here does not know enough about Gates or Jobs on a personal level to make any kind of judgement. Anything you hear is all second hand information and what is displayed by the media. It could well be, relative to a lot of other rich folks, Jobs didn't play a big enough role and certainly Apple was not involved in any charity related stuff, but that doesn't mean he hasn't done his part towards causes he wanted to help out.
Metaphorically speaking, it's a lot like saying someone who has money but doesn't buy much is cheap. That's not necessarily true. They'll spend money, and lots of it, on things they actually care for and want. On other things, its not important. On this front, Jobs also is an example. All that said, it's their life, their money. Let them choose how to live it their way.
As another HN member already commented, don't idolize either but take away lessons from each and mold your own path.
"As much as I love Apple, Inc, I would happily give up my iPhone to put food on the plates of starving children." No you wouldn't. If that were true, you would have already done it.
hmm, i think what people mean when they say this is: i would gladly trade the system which produces iphones for one which puts food on the plates of otherwise starving children there's a mismatch between the narrow "my iphone" and the broad "plates of starving children"
Instead, the author seems to be saying, "I want someone else to change their policies that impact the world so I can feel less guilty about the fact that I am doing nothing."
This is not fair to Steve Jobs. We don't have a full life to judge him by. If this writer had to judge Bill Gates 10 years ago, he would have fallen short of Gates now.
As both of them are of the same age (actually Bill is younger in terms of months), it is a perfectly valid comparison as to how far both men had come at this particular stage in their lives (56 years), so why should the writer judge the Bill Gates of 10 years ago (at 46 years) and compare it with the late Steve Jobs (at 56 years)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I disagree. Apple's cultural disdain for philanthropy is well known and comes directly from the top. The most valuable company in the world gives squat to charity when compared with their corporate peers (Microsoft, Google, etc.) and they look even worse when compared with financial equals like Exxon or Walmart.
I think in his biography, it was mentioned that Jobs had a dislike for those doing philanthropy publicly, as in, trying to get recognition for it rather than the cause. Jobs helped and donated to certain causes quietly in areas like education and I think his wife was involved in a number of areas. I mention the above to state only one thing... Practically everyone here does not know enough about Gates or Jobs on a pe…
e.g., think of all the time people spend talking about the Gates Foundation and its work. That's important.