OldMiner's Journal: Perspective on Microsoft

Anyone who develops applications for Windows or likes a little insight into how things work behind the scenes in Microsoft is probably already aware that Microsoft encourages its employees to keep blogs. Once in a while, I read one of these blogs, "The Old New Thing" maintained by a Mr. Raymond Chen. He writes interesting, though somewhat basic tutorials on basic concepts, pitfalls, and good practice with the Windows API. For example, in the last few months, windowless controls have come up quite a bit. Combo boxes, edit boxes, push buttons -- in general, they're all "windows". This applies in GTK as well as it does in the Windows API. Sometimes, it's desirable to have a lighter weight version of these -- a windowless control. What causes the need for these and the problems relating to them were discuessed. During that process, several Microsoft workers commented on the subject, including a developer of Access in days gone by.

A lot of the value comes in the comments, somewhat like on Slashdot. Except, of course, Mr. Chen is generating the content himself which spawns the comments. Once more, he also comments in his blog to add content, though he is sometimes short on patience when people wander off topic or don't understand what he's saying. But, just like Slashdot, there are quite a few fairly abrasive people who harp on Microsoft whenever possible. Recently, in response to such criticism, he gave quite the eloquent response.

Sometimes someone "tells the company" something, and then the company never acts on it. How information does or doesn't move from some low rung paper pusher to someone who can make things happen is a fairly interesting subject. People get degrees in communication to resolve these problems. Unfortunately, the matter seems to be simplified into an argument of, "I told someone at your company, so the company knew about the problem." Especially in lawsuits. People characterise any notice given to a company, even delivered to the most inappropriate person possible, as a proper notice in their mind. Often, this notice is given when the deliverer is already acting in an adversarial mindset. It doesn't occur in such situations what is going on, to either party, until someone gets the lawyers involved. And then we get Slashbots complaining about how Microsoft never fixes that or listens to so and so. And we get needless torts left and right, inflating the cost of everything.

Let's all drink one for calm-headed, reasonable due process, careful communication, and an end to zealotry.

2004 March 24 1900 (-600 GMT) Well, I certainly wrote that in a hurry. Little editing done recently should improve readability, I hope.