Bostonist isn't usually one to jump to the defense of some local institution just because it's local - that would mean rallying to the cause of the unsavory likes of Dunkin' Donuts, Harvard, and Staples. (What makes them especially evil? Nothing really - they're just the first few that came to mind.) But when Bill Gates takes time away from hyping his company's latest $1,000 laptop to poke fun at the MIT media lab's project to make $100 laptops for kids in poor countries, we just have to say it: Bill Gates is an asshole.

Reuters quotes Gates as saying, "If you are going to go have people share the computer, get a broadband connection and have somebody there who can help support the user, geez, get a decent computer where you can actually read the text and you're not sitting there cranking the thing while you're trying to type." Yeah, MIT media lab, what the hell are you thinking? Why waste your time providing basic computing resources for people who have no electricity when what you should be doing is providing broadband and tech support to Africa?!!

He may give more to charity than Bostonist can even think about, and he may have trouble containing his negativity about the $100 laptop project 'cause Google is backing them, but seriously, what a jerk. And besides, if he's going to make fun of something at the MIT media lab, why not pick this?