An Open Letter to Bill Gates

Dear Mr Gates,

I have a confession to make. When I was much younger as a student here in Singapore, I was impoverished and did not have much resources for me to attend to my schoolwork. Back then we were still not yet in the Internet era, and back then after spending lots of money to buy our PC workstations, I no longer had the spare money for original software. As a result, I would often buy pirated software from 'friendly' shops in Singapore, and I still remember installing Windows 95/98/XP on machines and also getting Microsoft Office and Visual Studio for cheap. I owe you a debt of gratitude, because if it weren't for Microsoft, I probably wouldn't be able to graduate from tertiary school. 

After I joined the workforce, I began abandoning pirated software and adopting original Microsoft software whenever I could. I am delighted to announce to you that as of this day, there is not a single compromised software on my machines as well as my users'. We all support original software, and we are grateful for how far we have come. As a practising Buddhist this Vesak Day, I continue to advocate for non-thievery, and I pledge to support authentic software for the benefit of myself, partners and associates, as well as corporates and institutions. Life in Singapore has evolved by leaps and bounds, and we live in a society these days which advocate Intellectual Property rights, and I'm glad to support my government as we continue to grow our squeaky clean image. Here's wishing you a fruitful trip in Singapore. Thank you once again.