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This page contains all of the posts and discussion on MemeStreams referencing the following web page: Whats wrong with Microsoft . You can find discussions on MemeStreams as you surf the web, even if you aren't a MemeStreams member, using the Threads Bookmarklet.

Whats wrong with Microsoft
by Decius at 9:37 pm EST, Dec 30, 2003

Microsoft is a company that got its start writing software for personal computers. The personal computer revolution was a wonderous thing and no one provided a better platform for personal computer software then Microsoft did. But this is almost 2004, and not 1988, and Microsoft is still making software for personal computers, but people are using personal computers in new ways. People are doing things with their personal computers that used to be the exclusive domain of servers, an entirely different class of computers that used to run an entirely different kind of software. People are building infrastructure with their personal computers, and in that light Microsoft isn't looking as good as they used to.

You see, there are really two classes of people who use personal computers. Producers, and consumers; Developers, and Users. Microsoft has built its entire software platform to suit these two classes of users, and this makes sense as these are the people who have traditionally purchased Microsoft products. However, as Microsoft makes the move into the world of infrastructure; into the world of servers; they are entering an area where there are three classes of people who use their products: Developers, Users, and Systems Administrators.

Infrastructures are made of systems of systems that interact in very complex ways, and there is an entire class of professionals who make their living making infrastructures work. Microsoft's platform doesn't anticipate the existence of this class of professionals, and doesn't provide them with tools that are well suited to their jobs, because Microsoft's platform is designed for personal computers, and personal computers do not have Systems Administrators.

For the past decade or so Microsoft has been pushing their platform, designed for Developers and Users, into a world populated by Systems Administrators. They have tried to jam their personal computer software into the world of infrastructure the way you hammer a square peg into a round hole. They've met with constant resistance over the years and yet they have kept hammering away. Every once in a while they've changed something due to the complaints of Systems Administrators. For example, I no longer have to reboot when I change my IP address. But for the most part, they've attempted to route around the entire profession of Systems Administrators through every business and marketing trick in the book, including leveraging proprietary technology. (Of course TCO for a NBT file server IS cheaper with XP then with UNIX; Microsoft controls the protocol!)

The fact is that this strategy is doomed to failure. The fact is that Microsoft doesn't get it. Infrastructure must be reliable. Software systems are complex. Software has bugs, and will always have bugs. Systems Administrators will always be needed to reliably operate infrastructure which interacts in complex ways in spite of software bugs. There is absolutely no getting around this... [ Read More (0.5k in body) ]


 
Microsoft does not understand Systems Administrators
by Jeremy at 9:06 am EST, Dec 31, 2003

See.

See Tom.

See Tom Rant.


 
RE: Whats wrong with Microsoft
by limbolost at 11:17 am EST, Dec 31, 2003

Don't worry about it.

With TCPA mandated by the feds, you will not be able to: (A. run any thing you patch (B. run anything you create to solve a problem (C. get any modified version from the "registered creator" of your package until they re-register the modified version at a high cost and unknown delay (D. run anything you create to provide a temporary or permanent workaround (E. get anything from some one else who can't afford to register it and run that (F. implement any new ideas you have unless you can afford to register and [therefore probably necessarily] market it (G. do anything on your own initiative unless it has been predicted by and accepted by and provided for by the software owner (H. use any of your own data without their ability to inspect and delete anything the program owner "=MS" doesn't like (I. do ANYTHING if your network connection goes down (J. run your laptop unless you can get it connected into the global network (K. do anything which is computer-supported or computer-enabled in an out-of-range area (L. work for yourself or anyone who isn't part of the ruling regime "=MS" and can have approved "development cpus" (M. talk about it online with anyone MS doesn't approve of (N. find any data online that MS chooses to suppress (O. etc...

Your company and you (unless a TCPA/TCG member) are probably unable to stay in business. You probably don't like that, but MS can try to get lots of money from China. Maybe that will prop up the fractured U.S. economy, crashed stock markets all around the world, and paralyzed (or looted) banking industry. At least you can get a cell phone and talk to your friends about it until MS gets semantic control of audio streams and of video images.

What, me worry? Maybe..., they did get the bill passed several years ago that created contracting recruiters as "employers" so we can't contract directly without incorporating ourselves, mostly not even then; and the "RIAA owns the music economy" bill more recently.

Incidentally, Microsoft NEVER looked very good to any other company for long, or to any informed user. If not an insider, a (temporary) ally, or an owner of their stock, you probably were worse off for their existence even though they were enlarging the marketplace possibly more rapidly than it otherwise would have developed.

Any computer on which I cannot create-and-run, fix-and-run, run-disconnected-from-any-networking, own-and-control-my own-data, buy, borrow,or-loan-software-or-data to/from any other party of my choice, do "open source" work --- is NOT an acceptable "Personal Computer"!


 
 
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