The list could be titled: Twelve ways to avoid being a monopoly or Twelve ways to avoid pissing off customers and third party developers.
If Microsoft really takes these twelve items to heart, it could be a big shift for them. It would certainly go a long way to change my perception of the company. I might even consider using Windows again at some point.
Agreed. This is a big move, and obviously it is done for Microsoft's business purposes (ie. "profit"), and I expect it to be successfull.
My first reaction was to check whether Microsoft had posted this their web site, which would be a strong indication of whether this is just a publicity announcement, or a serious commitment.
Microsoft will post these principles to its Web site so that they will be readily accessible to the computer industry and customers. We will review these principles from time to time, and at least once every three years, to determine whether we should adopt additional principles or modify existing principles to reflect technological, business or legal developments.
I'm no lawyer, but I suspect that this is close to legal accountability. So, if I buy a Microsoft product, and Microsoft fails to observe these tenets, then I (or me, IBM and Oracle), can sue Microsoft for breach of contract. Note that the announcement was made by a lawyer. It is, at the very least, moral accountability - Microsoft have attached their name to it, and their name will go down if they fail to observe it.
So, I expect that Microsoft will fully comply with it's own tenets.
Now, I believe that this is a major development in the software business. Microsoft's biggest obstacle to further growth, and maintaining a legal (as opposed to illegal) monopoly, is probably the reputation they have built over the years for predatory business practices. Customers and goverments everywhere are suspicious of them, and look for alternatives in order to keep Microsoft's tentacles out. We can argue forever about the quality of their products, and TCO, but the fact is that for most people, Microsofts products are (1) familiar, installed, and in constant use (2) functionally, if not "ideal", then at least "good enough". Most people, including many who are technically literate, have no strong business incentive to ditch Microsoft - the main reason they consider going to open source is the perception of Microsoft as a corporate bully, and exploiter of the customer, and the contrary perception of Open Source as offering freedom.
With this commitment, Microsoft will shed all these negative images. It's products are already trusted by most people, and now it's corporate image, and product strategy, will also be trusted. Those of use who have seen, and suffered, the "evil" Microsoft will not forget, but it will be of historical interest only. We may think it unfair that Microsoft was able to clean up it's image after they unfairly acquired a monopoly, but our resentment will not affect anyone elses purchasing decision.
FOSS is now going to have to be good enough to persuade people to switch on grounds of quality and cost alone, without using "Microsoft is evil" as a selling point for itself.
One of the things I most admire about Microsoft is their strategic ability, and timing. They have repeatedly made the right business decision, at the right time, often surprising the industry, and bringing scorn, but also backing those decisions, and being proven right. Sometimes the decisions have seemed ahead of their time (eg. the GUI server), and sometimes they have seemed to be late (as in this case), but they have many winnners, and few losers.
Early 80's - PC software as a business
Early 80's - The decision to licence DOS to IBM, rather than sell it
No, zealotry is not the same as enthusiasm, or simple fadishness. Whether or not the current enthusiasm for ruby is warranted, it is only enthusiasm, not zealotry. FWIW, enthusiasm can be appealing, where zealotry turns people off, and that is why ruby is getting so much attention.
It takes a lot of institutional discipline to make a smoothly-integrated system work. A few idiots in the wrong place can inject enough friction to turn the whole thing into a train wreck. Correction: an expensive train wreck.
This reminds me of the HP33 calculator monstrosity. The HP33 is a successor to the truly beautiful HP32, which is a very highly regarded scientific calculator. HP came up with an almost identical feature set, and updated the processor and memory. So far, so good, then someone decided that it had to "look modern", and produced a vile body shape and keyboard layout, which destroyed the essence of the calculator - simplicity. The HP32 (now 5 to 15 years old) sells on ebay for $200, and the HP33, which is technically superior, for $40.
So, that's a perfect example of how lack of "institutional discipline" can wreck a product.
Does MS have that discipline? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. To me,.Net is a magnificently designed, complex, integrated product. However, I wouldn't say that, overall, MS has shown itself to be able to master both innovation and discipline. I'll just wait and see.
I'd say neither troll nor flamebait is really a match.
When I first saw the "Troll" mod on your post I thought it was unfair. Your point that WinME was a backward step from Win98SE was informative and relevant (and I think that yours was the first post to bring this up). There is no law which says that software necessarily progresses forwards, for Microsoft or anyone else. In fact, history is full of counter examples. Sure, you had a shot at MS specifically, but that's hardly a "Troll". I was glad to see someone criticise the moderation.
No, they're intuitive because instead of expecting the user to know exactly what they want to do and how to do it, they give the user a range of options to choose from.
I agree with you entirely, and I agree that this is the *main* advantage of GUI's, I was just quibbling with the word "No", especially as the PP had already been criticised a few times. I was thinking "He's got a good point - give him a break":)
"Ease of use" vs. "intuitive"..? An interesting distinction.
Graphical User Interfaces are intuitive because you can remember the location of things.
No, they're intuitive because instead of expecting the user to know exactly what they want to do and how to do it, they give the user a range of options to choose from.
In a jovial press conference, Microsoft CEO Kevin Turner just announced...
"I was thinking about things over breakfast.. you know.. about life, and what's important, and business, and so on.. and I came to thinking that we've got so much stuff at Microsoft, that we can afford to share it around a bit more. First thing we're going to do is allow Google to compete in corporate search. We'll be announcing other give-aways shortly"
There is some speculation that Microsoft will make Windows Vista free, and open up the source code.
Funny thing is, it's happened twice! First time was in 2002, when they did a Salvador Dali tribute, and second time was in 2006 with a Miro tribute. http://management.silicon.com/government/0,3902467 7,39158308,00.htm Both times the complaints were settled quickly when Google agreed to take down the logo, without admitting fault.
Great post! Thanks for that bit of science which backs up what we've learnt from experience.
Have a secondary task you can switch to... write some documentation
Good idea. I like to look for a secondary task, but often it's not obvious, so I just drift on to the web. I think that if I kept a document as a "work in progress" to switch too, then that would give me more healthy alternative.
I discovered the same thing. For 10 years or so, I treated the lunch break as an enforced time out from paid work, and only took 30 minutes. Then I worked at a company where the norm was for everyone to take a break from 12:00 till 1:00 (it was not enforced, but it was the norm). When I started taking this break I found that my whole day improved - the afternoon was productive, I was more fresh at the end of the day, I started getting to work on time, I stopped attempting to make up for wasted hours by working late.
I no longer have that job, but still attempt to take a 1 hour lunch. At a minimum, I take 30 minutes, and make sure I leave my desk (ie. don't browse while eating lunch), and take a walk.
The only problem with this is that it means you spend an extra 30 minutes per day away from home. It's worth it.
The topic is a MS executive jumping to Google. Another one.
After a year of bad news for MS - Vista slipping, Office slipping, poor reviews for Office and Vista, Ballmer called the "most uninfluential" person in business, repeated questions about whether MS can move to Web 2.0....
Funny thing is, I'm an Aussie who has been following the cup consistently (but not fanatically), and I've heard a lot about the players (Kewell, Viduka, Aloisi, etc..), the coach (who's a national hero now), the opposition, and a whole lot of trivia, but I hadn't heard anything about this software until now. It certainly hasn't sparked much interest over here.
But it's just great seening our team get so much attention!
I'm working on a program to help the winner of the coin toss decide whether to bat or bowl. So far I've got
if (pitchIsGood) { Bat(); } else { ThinkAboutBowling(); Bat(); }
But we won't need any computer help to whip you guys this summer:-)...Warnie's gonna do you singlehanded, and you're gonna be chasing Gilchrest all round the park..
I won't speculate on why Gates is giving so much to charity, but I agree with you, and the parent, that it doesn't compensate for so many illegal and/or immoral business practices over the years.
Not to mention that what you are currently reading is the best comment ever made on Slashdot:-)
But it is, but it is!!!!! Not only that, it's the best comment ever made. Period. Your comment will live on long after Vista. And, it was released (long) before Vista.:-)
I strongly agree with you. This is a community of mentally alert people, who will poke fun at anything, the way mentally alert people do, but when it comes to serious comment they are fair minded, and genuinely curious. There is more informed, and balanced, debate here than anywhere I've encountered. Sometimes the mods seem to get it wrong, just like referees sometimes get it wrong, but I haven't seen any anti-MS trend in the mod system.
Yes, I've been modded down (once) for defending MS, but I've also been modded up for poking fun at Linux
Slashdot Mirror
Agreed. This is a big move, and obviously it is done for Microsoft's business purposes (ie. "profit"), and I expect it to be successfull.
My first reaction was to check whether Microsoft had posted this their web site, which would be a strong indication of whether this is just a publicity announcement, or a serious commitment.
12 tenets
It is there, together with this statement
I'm no lawyer, but I suspect that this is close to legal accountability. So, if I buy a Microsoft product, and Microsoft fails to observe these tenets, then I (or me, IBM and Oracle), can sue Microsoft for breach of contract. Note that the announcement was made by a lawyer. It is, at the very least, moral accountability - Microsoft have attached their name to it, and their name will go down if they fail to observe it.
So, I expect that Microsoft will fully comply with it's own tenets.
Now, I believe that this is a major development in the software business. Microsoft's biggest obstacle to further growth, and maintaining a legal (as opposed to illegal) monopoly, is probably the reputation they have built over the years for predatory business practices. Customers and goverments everywhere are suspicious of them, and look for alternatives in order to keep Microsoft's tentacles out. We can argue forever about the quality of their products, and TCO, but the fact is that for most people, Microsofts products are (1) familiar, installed, and in constant use (2) functionally, if not "ideal", then at least "good enough". Most people, including many who are technically literate, have no strong business incentive to ditch Microsoft - the main reason they consider going to open source is the perception of Microsoft as a corporate bully, and exploiter of the customer, and the contrary perception of Open Source as offering freedom.
With this commitment, Microsoft will shed all these negative images. It's products are already trusted by most people, and now it's corporate image, and product strategy, will also be trusted. Those of use who have seen, and suffered, the "evil" Microsoft will not forget, but it will be of historical interest only. We may think it unfair that Microsoft was able to clean up it's image after they unfairly acquired a monopoly, but our resentment will not affect anyone elses purchasing decision.
FOSS is now going to have to be good enough to persuade people to switch on grounds of quality and cost alone, without using "Microsoft is evil" as a selling point for itself.
One of the things I most admire about Microsoft is their strategic ability, and timing. They have repeatedly made the right business decision, at the right time, often surprising the industry, and bringing scorn, but also backing those decisions, and being proven right. Sometimes the decisions have seemed ahead of their time (eg. the GUI server), and sometimes they have seemed to be late (as in this case), but they have many winnners, and few losers.
Made me laugh! (and zealots don't laugh at themselves...and don't try and tell me that yours is a meta troll - my brain is starting to hurt!)
So, that's a perfect example of how lack of "institutional discipline" can wreck a product.
Does MS have that discipline? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. To me,
Thanks - you've described that well.
:)
I hope the mods visit, and bump you up a bit!
I hope the meta-moderators get him!
"Ease of use" vs. "intuitive"..? An interesting distinction.
Javaman
Priceless! The "...blackout...render farm..customer comfort...etc.."!!
You've gotta get yourself a UID, to get credit for this stuff!
Sure. But first, what's your kingdom worth?
:)
Or are you just being rhetorical?
In a jovial press conference, Microsoft CEO Kevin Turner just announced...
"I was thinking about things over breakfast.. you know.. about life, and what's important, and business, and so on.. and I came to thinking that we've got so much stuff at Microsoft, that we can afford to share it around a bit more. First thing we're going to do is allow Google to compete in corporate search. We'll be announcing other give-aways shortly"
There is some speculation that Microsoft will make Windows Vista free, and open up the source code.
There has been no comment from Google yet.
Funny thing is, it's happened twice! First time was in 2002, when they did a Salvador Dali tribute, and second time was in 2006 with a Miro tribute. http://management.silicon.com/government/0,3902467 7,39158308,00.htm Both times the complaints were settled quickly when Google agreed to take down the logo, without admitting fault.
Mods, this is one of the most informative, and insightful, posts in the topic.
Sometimes "Anonymous Coward" means "someone with insider knowledge, who has something interesting to share".
Good idea. I like to look for a secondary task, but often it's not obvious, so I just drift on to the web. I think that if I kept a document as a "work in progress" to switch too, then that would give me more healthy alternative.
I discovered the same thing. For 10 years or so, I treated the lunch break as an enforced time out from paid work, and only took 30 minutes. Then I worked at a company where the norm was for everyone to take a break from 12:00 till 1:00 (it was not enforced, but it was the norm). When I started taking this break I found that my whole day improved - the afternoon was productive, I was more fresh at the end of the day, I started getting to work on time, I stopped attempting to make up for wasted hours by working late.
I no longer have that job, but still attempt to take a 1 hour lunch. At a minimum, I take 30 minutes, and make sure I leave my desk (ie. don't browse while eating lunch), and take a walk.
The only problem with this is that it means you spend an extra 30 minutes per day away from home. It's worth it.
The topic is a MS executive jumping to Google. Another one.
After a year of bad news for MS - Vista slipping, Office slipping, poor reviews for Office and Vista, Ballmer called the "most uninfluential" person in business, repeated questions about whether MS can move to Web 2.0....
Petri's comment dead *on topic*. Pithy. Humorous.
Nice post, Petri.
Funny thing is, I'm an Aussie who has been following the cup consistently (but not fanatically), and I've heard a lot about the players (Kewell, Viduka, Aloisi, etc..), the coach (who's a national hero now), the opposition, and a whole lot of trivia, but I hadn't heard anything about this software until now. It certainly hasn't sparked much interest over here.
But it's just great seening our team get so much attention!
I won't speculate on why Gates is giving so much to charity, but I agree with you, and the parent, that it doesn't compensate for so many illegal and/or immoral business practices over the years.
I strongly agree with you. This is a community of mentally alert people, who will poke fun at anything, the way mentally alert people do, but when it comes to serious comment they are fair minded, and genuinely curious. There is more informed, and balanced, debate here than anywhere I've encountered. Sometimes the mods seem to get it wrong, just like referees sometimes get it wrong, but I haven't seen any anti-MS trend in the mod system.
Yes, I've been modded down (once) for defending MS, but I've also been modded up for poking fun at Linux