Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hiromichi]

What does "keep them honest" below mean?

He also gave credit to his rival, saying Google has "done a great job on search and what they've done with advertising." But, he reiterated his position that search today is still too much of a treasure hunt and promised that better things are in store.

"We will keep them honest, in the sense of being able to do better in a number of areas," Gates said.
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Hiromichi

[MrPedantic]

Hello Hiromichi

I'm not entirely sure; it's a strange thing to say. But perhaps it means "pressure from our competitive presence will force them to improve".

I'd be interested to see what other interpretations members will come up with.

Bye
MrP