Dear Website Visitor,

When Microsoft Chairman William H. Gates III was murdered in cold blood by a sniper in MacArthur Park on December 2, 1999, I was as shocked, outraged and horrified as most Americans were by this horrible tragedy. While I was never a Bill Gates or Microsoft "fan", like most Americans I was aware of who Bill Gates was -- after all, he was the model for the technology tycoon, the modern billionaire, the outcast's revenge and the CEO as celebrity. Like most Americans I was also shocked to see him killed so violently, and apparently by the hand of lone unstable radical, Alek Hidell.

Jack Perdue, Curator

As the months passed, though, I found myself become more and more enthralled by Bill Gates, the man and the legend. Fed by nearly constant news coverage and Bill Gates biographies, I became entranced with what Bill Gates always represented for America and the world: one of the most important and successful entrepreneurs and innovators of the 20th Century, if not the history of mankind. By April of 2000, in the wake of lingering questions and doubts regarding the official version of events, I realized that all this personal research ... my own odyssey of discovering who Bill Gates was ... was of interest and value to others in the Web community. In June of 2000, I launched BillGatesisDead.com as the ultimate portal on Bill Gates: his life, his accomplishments, his tragic death and the impact it has had on American society.

In the past month, some detractors in message boards have argued that my efforts to memorialize the importance of Bill Gates are tasteless, vulgar or, worst of all, a crude attempt to profit from the media sensation surrounding his murder. I've been shocked by the insults and slander, and felt compelled to publish this statement to set the record straight for the media and my loyal audience.

The idea of commercializing the death of Bill Gates into some crass vehicle for selling product is not just demoralizing and insensitive, it's also dehumanizing for all of us who have been touched by his life and saddened by his death. I've watched with disgust as some companies have rushed "Bill Gates Memorial Products" to market via the Web and infomercials. I've been horrified to see Bill Gates mementos sold to the highest bidder on auction sites like eBay. I've been deeply troubled by the rumors of a bidding war by some entertainment industry companies for the television rights to the stories of Bill Gates' confidants in the hopes of developing a "made for T.V. movie."

Rest assured, I'll never participate in any such underhanded schemes and will never sell advertising or sponsorships to ethically-challenged companies that engage in such behaviors. Despite their onslaught, there's still an important place on the Web for more serious sites that reflect the feelings, needs and concerns of people still looking to make sense of this tragedy. That's all I've ever sought to do with BillGatesisDead.com and I promise you, it's all I ever will do.

Your curator,