Bonum Certa Men Certa

The Supposedly 'Soft' Bill Gates Interrogated About What Was Called His “Jihad”

Recent: Reminder: Bill Gates Called for “Jihad” (His Word) Both Before and After Being Grilled for Crimes | Bill Gates Deposition: Gates Keeps Referring to His Attacks on Competitors (Linux Included) as “Jihad” and Still Lies About Illegal Contracts

Oxford dictionary on “Jihad”
From Oxford dictionary



Summary: We revisit the odd choice of words (repeatedly used by Mr. Gates internally), suggestive of some divine call for war/arms in the business context

THE FOLLOWING passages are from the full transcript of the Bill Gates deposition (fourth part of the transcripts). For those who forgot, Gates repeatedly used the word "Jihad" (odd choice of words for a Christian) and after this deposition he continued using this term in his "holy war" against GNU/Linux, as noted in 2019 and in 2009.






13 Q. Were you told in or about March of 1997
14 that people within Microsoft believed that browser
15 share needed to remain a key priority for your field
16 and marketing efforts?
17 A. I don't remember being told that, but I
18 wouldn't be surprised to hear that people were saying
19 that.
20 Q. Immediately before that sentence there
21 is a statement that Microsoft needs to continue its
22 jihad next year. Do you see that?
23 A. No.
24 Q. The sentence that says "Browser share
25 needs to remain a key priority for our field and
605
BARNEY, UNGERMANN & ASSOCIATES 888-326-5900





1 marketing efforts," the sentence right before that
2 says "we need to continue our jihad next year."
3 That's the way it ends. Do you see that?
4 A. Now I see -- it doesn't say Microsoft.
5 Q. Well, when it says "we" there, do you
6 understand that means something other than Microsoft,
7 sir?
8 A. It could mean Brad Chase's group.
9 Q. Well, this is a message from Brad Chase
10 to you, Brad Silverberg, Paul Maritz and Steve
11 Ballmer; correct?
12 A. As I say, it's strange that this -- if
13 this was a normal piece of e-mail, it wouldn't print
14 like that. I'm not aware of any way -- maybe there
15 is some way -- that e-mail ends up looking like this
16 when you print it out.
17 Q. I wasn't the one that was asserting it
18 was an e-mail. I don't know whether it is an e-mail
19 or memo or what it is. All I know is it was produced
20 to us by Microsoft. And the first line of it says
21 "To" and the first name there is "Bradsi." Do you
22 see that?
23 A. Uh-huh.
24 Q. Does that refer to Brad Silverberg?
25 A. Usually you can use that shorthand in
606
BARNEY, UNGERMANN & ASSOCIATES 888-326-5900





1 typing in someone's name, but when you print out
2 e-mail, it doesn't come out that way.
3 Q. Do you believe that the reference here
4 to "Bradsi" is a reference to Brad Silverberg, sir?
5 A. Yes.
6 Q. The next addressee is "Paulma." Do you
7 believe that that is Paul Maritz?
8 A. Yes.
9 Q. And the next addressee is "Steveb". Do
10 you believe that that is Steve Ballmer?
11 A. Yes.
12 Q. The next addressee is "Billg" and do
13 you believe that that is yourself?
14 A. Yes.
15 Q. And it says it's from "Bradc" and do
16 you believe that is Brad Chase?
17 A. Yes.
18 Q. Now, when Brad Chase writes to you and
19 the others "we need to continue our jihad next year,"
20 do you understand that he is referring to Microsoft
21 when he uses the word "we"?
22 A. No.
23 Q. What do you think he means when he uses
24 the word "we"?
25 A. I'm not sure.
607
BARNEY, UNGERMANN & ASSOCIATES 888-326-5900





1 Q. Do you know what he means by jihad?
2 A. I think he is referring to our vigorous
3 efforts to make a superior product and to market that
4 product.
5 Q. Now, what he says in the next sentence
6 is, "Browser share needs to remain a key priority for
7 our field and marketing efforts;" is that correct?
8 A. Yes.
9 Q. The field and marketing efforts were
10 not involved in product design or making an improved
11 browser, were they, sir?
12 A. No.




Does Gates have a megalomania issue/God complex? Is this business or religion? Remember that Microsoft likes to portray GNU and Linux folks as religious fanatics... (even if many are atheistic and you'd never see GNU/Linux users calling for a "Jihad")

Recent Techrights' Posts

Linux of America
We could not help but notice GNU/Linux in North America yesterday
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, September 05, 2026
IRC logs for Saturday, September 05, 2026
Gemini Links 06/09/2026: Internet Limiting (Limited Time Allotted) and Solar MiniServer
Links for the day
Eight Months of Strikes in EPO, Organised by the Staff Union (SUEPO) Also in Berlin
In Berlin, only one member of staff voted against the action plan
Links 05/09/2026: "Let’s Stop Buying New Phone" and 'Open' 'AI' (Proprietary Slop) Drowning in Lawsuits
Links for the day
Gemini Links 05/09/2026: Polarization, Warped Maps, and Emacs rectangle-number-lines
Links for the day
Software Freedom, Even If Difficult to Attain Due to Outside Pressure, Does Make You Happier
Peer pressure and opinionated employers can make friends and staff more miserable if they dictate bad software
You Can Run GNU/Linux on a Desktop/Laptop for 1,000+ Days Nonstop
To me, the long uptime is a way of "marketing" GNU/Linux as robust and stable
Profiting From Global Warming (and Making More Money the More You Cause Warming)
Unregulated bank and pyramid scheme
SLAPP Censorship - Part 172 Out of 200: The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Complicit in the SLAPPs by Inaction (Didn't Even Study Any Evidence, Only Wasted Time and Budget)
"SRA placed into special measures due to 'disappointing standard of leadership'"
China Does Not Need American (US) Products Like GAFAM's
China has abundance of technical things it can leverage to preserve its autonomy
RMS Didn't Make Enough Backups
Making backups is important
Refresher: Why EPO Staff is on Strike This Year (Aside From the EPO Acting Like a Corrupt, Above-the-Law, For-Profit Corporation That Violates Its Own Charter)
One core issue at the EPO is erosion of purchasing power
Gemini Links 05/09/2026: Fireflies, Shore Pine, and ASCII Art
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, September 04, 2026
IRC logs for Friday, September 04, 2026
The Legal Services Board (LSB) Takes on Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) for Utter Failures, We'll Resume Our SRA Series to Illuminate How Bad the SRA Really Is
a quick overview of the latest news
Links 04/09/2026: Notorious Patent Trolls' Judge Enters the Private Sector (Corruption, Revolving Doors), Gloria Steinem's Life in Pictures
Links for the day
Gemini Links 04/09/2026: Worries, Upgrades, and CS Students
Links for the day
Richard Stallman's Web Site Back Online, But It Seems Like a 2-Months-Old Snapshot
Latest political notes are dated July 2 (2026)
SPAM Disguised as Benchmark or Comparison: The Register MS "PARTNER CONTENT" is Getting Weirder by the Month
Sites that promote fake 'coins' or pyramid schemes to their audience(s) aren't worth tolerating
PIPs at IBMs are Layoffs Because They're Impossible to Satisfy (or They Terminate Workers Despite Satisfying Them)
What insiders say
In the United Kingdom You Can No Longer Make the Assumption People Use Windows (or 'Smart' 'Phone')
As autumn arrives Microsoft faces a crisis
SLAPP Censorship - Part 171 Out of 200: Talking About Corruption and Violence Against Women
Today the Labour Party (UK) speaks about corruption
Warming Up for Investigative Journalism About the European Patent Office (EPO), Europe's Second-Largest and Probably Most Corrupt Institution in Europe
It continues to exploit diplomatic immunity for impunity
Microsoft Handing Out PIPs by the Thousands, Anxiety in GAFAM Building Up
Years ago I heard from people who pretended to be ill to avoid getting fired
BRICS in the Windows: Brazil's GNU/Linux Share (as Measured by CDN) Has Hit Highest Point in a Month
The largest Web CDN, Clownflare, sees GNU/Linux at 8.1% right now in Brazil
Corporate Media Will Always Glorify Its Owners (Corporations That Value Nothing But Capital)
Collecting "money" like it's a form of competition where they track "score"
We'll Never Do Slop!
Being against slop is not being "left behind"
Thieves Complain About the People They Steal From
"When you point the finger at someone, there are three fingers pointing back to you"
Links 04/09/2026: "The Rise of the Billionaire Lobby", the "Imperialist Delusions", and Digital Restrictions (DRM) From Nvidia
Links for the day
Buying From China
Nations must begin to speak about their digital sovereignty, which Free software is best equipped to grant and best positioned to assure in the face of outside resistance
GNU/Linux Continues to Grow in China
GNU/Linux reached its highest point in a month
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, September 03, 2026
IRC logs for Thursday, September 03, 2026
Gemini Links 04/09/2026: Forgotten Realms Avatar Series and Slop Plagiarism's Footprint in Gopher/Geminispace
Links for the day