Officially speaking out against MS products | The Coffeehouse

May28th2018
May 28th, 2018

Bugs in Microsoft's technology caused me a great deal of harm at work recently.

So unfortunately, I can't come out and say which company I work for or even discuss what happened. I kind of wish it were possible to blow the whistle on Microsoft with authority from the stand point of our positions at X company, instead of anonymously. Kind of how Robert Scoble does on his blog. Unfortunately this may pass with a guy that rides the tea cup rides at the VC amusement park until they break(or lose all their money) then jumps ship, but it doesn't sit well with people that have normal senior positions.

Does it improve things to make public criticisms? Of course not. But we don't care about Microsoft, we care about ourselves. They are an unfortunate obstacle of the enterprise.

jamie

SlackmasterK
I write my OWN blogging engines

All software has bugs. The hippies' software has bugs too, but they're found less often because of an incredibly tiny user base.

May28th2018
May 28th, 2018

In reply to SlackmasterK

#Sep 19th @ 4:23 PM

The enterprise installations of Windows XP/Office2003 are the problem. I'm not stating this to prompt enterprises to upgrade.

Thanks for bringing up the "The hippies' software". Hippies aren't the only people that provide alternative stable software solutions.

I liken it to a happy couple in a trailer park that had too many kids. Over the years they let those kids run around and throw bottles at cars and spread herpes. 2 people could not possibly manage so many children that grew up with neighbors that regularly drink rubbing alcohol and Robitussin as mentors.

Harlequin
http://twitter.com/TrueHarlequin

In reply to May28th2018

#Sep 19th @ 4:33 PM

This thread is officially awesome, can I be in it too?

o/ *waves*

figuerres
???

I will take the stand that Microsoft BOB is evil and should be banned....

Oh wait thats really old and no one buys that...

Oh well i tried.

figuerres
???

"Bugs in Microsoft's technology caused me a great deal of harm at work recently."

perhaps if you really want to be taken as more than a microsoft hater you could at least say something more than that.

1) what product?

2) what version?

3) what kind of "harm" have you suffered? lost a limb? paid less? looked follish? how were you "Harmed"

none of that would disclose your employer or company secrets.... unless it made headline news and we could find the news story.

MasterPie
I'm white because I smelt an onion

Why not post your experiences on Slashdot?

I'm sure more people there than on a Microsoft forum would agree with you .

Seriously, what do you expect most of the people here will do? Come out and say, "I agree! Omg our corporate infrastructure is sooooo buggy. Like, not that much...most people don't even notice it. But, I notice it, so it must be an issue. Even though I get paid, and people are happy, and there probably is a lot of ~~more important~~ work to do, I think I will tell my boss that we should revamp our infrastructure (that we spent millions of dollars on, but...wait, there's a bug in the software...bugs are bad, pesky bugs) and start from scratch with an open source solution from some company in Canada whose name reminds me of happy hour.

Down with Microsoft!"

May28th2018
May 28th, 2018

In reply to figuerres

#Sep 19th @ 6:23 PM

Unfortunately, I can't say. That's part of the problem.

jamie

In reply to May28th2018

#Sep 19th @ 8:12 PM

just what harmed you? software? were you the one that installed it?

what went wrong?

help - ive loaded windows and i cant get up!

what on earth happened?

May28th2018
May 28th, 2018

In reply to jamie

#Sep 19th @ 8:15 PM

I work for one of those big companies. You know, the kind of big company that would freak the f out if I ever said anything in violation of the handbook. So I will have to pass on the prying. That was actually the point of this post. That most of us do not have the latitude that employment vagabonds such as Robert Scoble have.

I will say this though. I just bought half the top 20 PS3 downloads in the Play Station store, and I got myself a 20 case of Miller at the CVS with my CVS saver card to console myself, and I must say it is working. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is pretty sweet, and so is the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game.

Buy list for 9-19-09 - evening

UP1002-NPUB30030_00-

REDBARONFULLGAME-UG01 Red Baron(R) Arcade (Full Game) $9.99

UP2006-NPUB30108_00-

BATTLETANKSGLMTL-UG01 Battle Tanks (Full Game) $9.99
UP0102-NPUB30068_00-

MARVELCAP2UNLOCK-UG01 MARVEL™ VS. CAPCOM(R) 2 (Full Game) $14.99

UP8801-NPUB30129_00-PS3STORE_

DRAFTCO-UG01 NBA 2K10: Draft Combine (Full Game) $4.99

UP0001-NPUB30107_00-PS3STORE_

TMNTTIT-UG01 TMNT™: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled (Full Game) $9.99

UP0082-NPUB30092_00-

CD00000000000000-UG01 CRYSTAL DEFENDERS™ (Full Game) $9.99
UP9000-NPUA80139_00-

FATPRINCESS00001-UG01 Fat Princess (Full Game) $14.99

UP2004-NPUB30097_00-

SMASHCARS0000000-UG01 Smash Cars (Full Game) $14.99

I'll get myself a Gill Bates dart board and hang it next to my desk at work, and I'll be fine.

jamie

In reply to May28th2018

#Sep 19th @ 8:24 PM

...i work for a big company too - myself.

employment vagabonds? youtube link? Smiley

Bass
www.spreadfirefox.com/5years/

Luckly there are other options other then Microsoft technology. I'm no Microsoft fanboy, I pick and choose what I am most comfortable with. For instance, I have a strong distaste for Microsoft operating systems but I like Microsoft development tools.

I found a solution to this dilemma. In this day and age with virtualization and stuff like Mono there is stuff that caters for people like me. Sure there is no Linux port of Visual Studio, but the way I got my computer set up you'd think there was.

The point is (I guess) if something from Microsoft you don't like, just stop using it. You'll be better off: it's much easier then trying to influence this company with millions+ of other customers.

Ray7

In reply to Harlequin

#Sep 19th @ 5:18 PM

Cool hat! ... Smiley

ManipUni
Proving QQ for 5 years!

This thread doesn't deliver.

"I think Microsoft sucks, but I cannot say why exactly" - pretty much sums up this thread.

AndyC

"Does it improve things to make public criticisms?"

Well it's more likely to than making vague comments and then completely refusing to give any details. Because that makes it look like either a) you have an agenda and are making it up entirely, b) these "bugs" and the "harm" caused are so trivial nobody will care or c) there is a very real possibilty that people will point out how the mistake was actually down to you and not bugs at all.

As it stands, this thread can only serve to lower your credibility.

Sabot
My name is Dave Oliver. I'm a Technical Architect.

If I had found a bug that was serious, I would scream it from the roof tops. My company, it's also very big, would be more than happy to let me do it as long as I was sensible and didn't give away any commercially sensitive secrets or reflected badly on them.

If you have a press office run your post by them, they will tell you how to fix it and give you some advice.

Your boss, if he/she is bright, will realise you are doing this because you care and not because you are a fanboy with an axe to grind.

I've also found that Microsoft themselves are very responsive to fixing serious bugs we've found in their software. They aren't a faceless organisation to me, I can pick up the phone and talk to someone because I have a business relationship with them, I suggest that you do the same.

Also ... you HAVE TO give people the opportunity to defend themselves, your words mean nothing if you don't present any evidence. It is the burden of proof that is on you now, you can't come on to C9 and just spread FUD. Grow a backbone and be more mature. You're not the only one with bills to pay. I'm annoyed now!

exoteric
I : Next<I>

In reply to ManipUni

#Sep 20th @ 12:46 AM

Aye!

Dr Herbie
Horses for courses

In reply to exoteric

#Sep 20th @ 2:05 AM

Of course there are no details, because it is not true: May28th2018 consistenly fabricates stories.

Working on a stock prediction system that is going to makie him millions? Fantasy.

Ex Sun employees begging him for work? Fantasy.

May18th2018 works for 'one ogf those big companies'? Fantasy.

So, Fantasist or troll?

Herbie

magicalclick

Spam, I have wasted my time looking at a thread that provide no valuable information. Sure I certainly want to know what bug and what software. We are MS fans, but we are not blind, and we want to know the problem so we can avoid them same problem as well. And all I get is "nah nah nah nah nah, I am going to Rick Roll you, nah nah nah nah nah".

I hate people like this. Just teasing, nothing productive. I certainly don't trust them because they don't share critical information until all hell break lose. Then, he will be there again "nah nah nah nah nah, I am going to Rick Roll you, nah nah nah nah nah".

vesuvius
Das Glasperlenspiel

In reply to magicalclick

#Sep 20th @ 3:04 AM

Then, he will be there again "nah nah nah nah nah, I am going to Rick Roll you, nah nah nah nah nah".

Got it in one

ZippyV
Fired Up

In reply to Sabot

#Sep 20th @ 1:12 AM

I love stories and it could make this thread more interesting. Did you ever discover a serious bug in Microsoft software? Which one? How long did it take Microsoft to provide a hotfix?

joechung

You'll have to be more specific. Otherwise, you're just venting, which is fine, but don't expect anyone to take any serious action to address your problems.

Ray7

In reply to Dr Herbie

#Sep 20th @ 2:39 AM

Fantasist. I don't even believe he has a job.

vesuvius
Das Glasperlenspiel

In reply to Ray7

#Sep 20th @ 3:46 AM

Walter Mitty