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Bill Gates's new website: The Gates Notes

thegatesnotes.com

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Re: Bill Gates's new website: The Gates Notes

#41

Post by dskhatri »

In the introduction note, Bill says:

"I take a lot of notes, and often share them and my own thoughts on the subject with others through email"

Besides email (which isn't that great if you don't have GMail style threads), I wonder whether he and other prominent personalities use a closed discussion forum to engage in discourse about interesting topics like HN does. I can understand why he would be hesitant to comment on a public forum like HN.

That said, it's great to see people like PG, DHH (and others) mix with the no-names (or future-names) on HN.

Re: Bill Gates's new website: The Gates Notes

#42

Post by sofal »

opoloqo wrote: post #40
dnewcome wrote: post #5

I think that Bill can do a world of good by sharing his thoughts via a blog like this. Assuming he is candid and fosters real communication, that is. Sections like 'What I'm thinking about/what I'm learning' is exactly the right attitude.

would be interesting. too bad the comments are turned off.

I dunno, I think that a comment section for an author as famous as this would just be a fire-hose blast of noise.

Re: Bill Gates's new website: The Gates Notes

#43

Post by rms »

sofal wrote: post #42
opoloqo wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

would be interesting. too bad the comments are turned off.

I dunno, I think that a comment section for an author as famous as this would just be a fire-hose blast of noise.

Yeah, it would only work if he had paid moderators.

Re: Bill Gates's new website: The Gates Notes

#44

Post by jister »

Alex3917 wrote: post #10
dnewcome wrote: post #5

I think that Bill can do a world of good by sharing his thoughts via a blog like this. Assuming he is candid and fosters real communication, that is. Sections like 'What I'm thinking about/what I'm learning' is exactly the right attitude.

The problem is that Bill Gates only reads books that reinforce his existing beliefs. That's why he's so pro-KIPP, because he doesn't have any interest in authors like John Taylor Gatto. (Or at least this is what I heard from someone who had lunch with him recently.)

Just out of curiosity but how do you know this?

EDIT: I am not being sarcastic or anything.

Re: Bill Gates's new website: The Gates Notes

#46

Post by moe »

unexpected wrote: post #7

Really pretty, really well-done website. (Even if it's going to get grief because it uses Silverlight).

I humbly disagree.

The fonts are microscopic here and when I increase the size to something half-readable then stuff gets pushed out the right side. (on the section-overview pages that is)

I also found this sidebar on the right of the articles very distracting. Don't throw unrelated content at me while I'm reading.

Re: Bill Gates's new website: The Gates Notes

#48

Post by nopinsight »

sofal wrote: post #42
opoloqo wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

would be interesting. too bad the comments are turned off.

I dunno, I think that a comment section for an author as famous as this would just be a fire-hose blast of noise.

Why don't they implement a point voting system like HN? It's usually quite a good filter.

Re: Bill Gates's new website: The Gates Notes

#49

Post by delackner »

moe wrote: post #46
unexpected wrote: post #7

Really pretty, really well-done website. (Even if it's going to get grief because it uses Silverlight).

I humbly disagree. The fonts are microscopic here and when I increase the size to something half-readable then stuff gets pushed out the right side. (on the section-overview pages that is) I also found this sidebar on the right of the articles very distracting. Don't throw unrelated content at me while I'm reading.

This is one of the few sites I've browsed on a Windows machine that made me instinctively think "oh the fonts look like crap because someone designed it on Windows and didn't think about Mac usability", since I'm usually on a Mac. That the fonts look nearly unreadable at any size on a windows machine is hilarious.

Re: Bill Gates's new website: The Gates Notes

#50

Post by onoj »

whatusername wrote: post #30
rudin wrote: post #25

First twitter and now a website? Looking over the content on the site I was depressed by all the philanthropy and environmentalism. Not that these aren't good things but I think Bill has been so successful at building software and corporations that his time would be better used teaching people these things. Imagine the articles and insight we could get if he would convert into someone like Paul Graham.

actually, I completely disagree. What Bill was truly good at, was hiring smart people and getting them to all work towards something big. Putting a computer on every desk was a big goal. Eradicating Malaria and the other things the foundation is working on are big goals. And to be honest - I'm impressed by the way he is going about it. This site isn't about him resting on his laurels - looking back at the success he…

Totally agree - and also at the very least I rest comfortable knowing that such a large amount of wealth (Most of Buffets' empire also) is bookmarked to at least try and do good. Not somewhere else (ie: funding weapons)
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