X-Message-Number: 18454
From: 
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002 19:29:50 EST
Subject: Re: CryoNet #18443

Charles Platt makes a good point about Bell.  The same could be said of 
Edison but these are both 19th century cases.  When Bill Gates muscled his 
way to stardom in the late 20th he did it with somebody else's technology.  
Did he write any of the code for DOS? I don't know but I doubt it.  In any 
case he was extremely canny about business and the vulnerability of new areas 
of technology to monopolistic exploitation.  So was Edison and so was Bell.  
They were all thinking about how to CAPITALIZE on their inventions by 
creating vast networks, enlisitng subscribers, and charging fees.  They all 
wanted to become rich.  My point about cryonics service providers is just 
that.  In the long run, the motive power of the empire builders will be vast 
wealth, not long life.  I think that's something we can bank on.

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