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Arcane
○─○─○ • 10m
In 1976, a young Bill Gates, fresh out of college and co-founding Microsoft, developed an amazing software called an interpreter. This crucial piece of code, acting as a translator between programmer and computer, significantly simplified programming for early, bulky personal computers. The story takes an interesting turn when we consider how Gates envisioned monetization. He saw the interpreter's value and priced individual licenses at $150. However, a passionate community of tech enthusiasts, known as hobbyists, began freely sharing the software. Gates, frustrated by the lost revenue, penned a now-famous open letter accusing them of "stealing." But these hobbyists were building the very first personal computers in their basements and garages. They argued that the free exchange of ideas and software was essential for the nascent PC industry to take root. Without this collaboration, they argued, the personal computer revolution might never have reached our homes.
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