Microsoft

1 Microsoft Goes Bonkers by Joel Spolsky

I'm not saying that there's nothing new in .NET. I'm saying that there's nothing there at all.

Look at some of this:

Everyone believes the Web will evolve, but for that evolution to be truly empowering for developers, businesses and consumers, a radical new vision is needed. Microsoft's goal is to provide that vision and the technology to make it a reality. [from "Microsoft .NET: Realizing the Next Generation", June 2000].

How about this:

The Microsoft .NET vision means empowerment for consumers, businesses, software developers and the entire industry. It means unleashing the full potential of the Internet. And it means the Web the way you want it. [Ibid]

What's going on here? I couldn't find one single idea that could actually be implemented in a software product in that entire white paper.

2 Microsoft can't speak straight any more by Joel Spolsky

Here's how Microsoft says, “SQL Server 2008 will be late:”

“We want to provide clarification on the roadmap for SQL Server 2008. Over the coming months, customers and partners can look forward to significant product milestones for SQL Server. Microsoft is excited to deliver a feature complete CTP during the Heroes Happen Here launch wave and a release candidate (RC) in Q2 calendar year 2008, with final Release to manufacturing (RTM) of SQL Server 2008 expected in Q3. Our goal is to deliver the highest quality product possible and we simply want to use the time to meet the high bar that you, our customers, expect.”

What? Can you understand that? “A feature complete CTP during the Heroes Happen Here launch wave?” What on earth does that mean?

3 Microsoft Boy announces his School Homework

4 News by Joel Spolsky

A very senior Microsoft developer who moved to Google told me that Google works and thinks at a higher level of abstraction than Microsoft. "Google uses Bayesian filtering the way Microsoft uses the if statement," he said. That's true. Google also uses full-text-search-of-the-entire-Internet the way Microsoft uses little tables that list what error IDs correspond to which help text. Look at how Google does spell checking: it's not based on dictionaries; it's based on word usage statistics of the entire Internet, which is why Google knows how to correct my name, misspelled, and Microsoft Word doesn't.