Hey MSFT Guys!

First in a series. By Tony 'Tokyo' Rhoades.

Get It Try It

Hey you guys at Microsoft: wouldn't you rather be working for a company with a good reputation? Particularly in the field of security? Wouldn't you rather be working with a system that you knew was endemically impervious to assault - instead of spending more and more of your time in a futile effort to chase the black hats that succeed in penetrating your non-existent outer perimeter?

Aren't you ashamed of working for such a company?

When your own so-called 'cyber security analysts' admit 97% of all mail today is spam generated by your leaky system? How does that make you feel?

Let's talk cosmetics for a while. Ars recently came out with an extravaganza of a piece about the most recent visible changes to your latest abortion. Do you really think users care your new about box is a bit taller and wider? What does that have to do with system security?

There are a lot of witch doctors working inside and outside your company, all intent (and paid well) to convince you and the general buying public you're not selling people the same old pig with a new coat of glossy lipstick. Do you really buy into that?

Your company is antiquated today. Totally fallen behind the times. You've lost your good people - and a great deal of upper management - to Google. Because Google is where the action is today as everybody knows. Have you contacted Google as well? Are you envious of your colleagues who've been accepted by Google? Are you going to try again to jump ship to Google?

Your company has nothing today. Aside from a miniscule investment in Facebook. Your company continually doctors the truth - hides search results not considered to be flattering to your company. Do you think good software companies have to do the same thing?

How about your former CEO? Who seven years ago apologised to the world at large for the crappy software you were responsible for? And promised things would get better? That's seven years ago and you know better than anyone else things have not improved in the slightest. How does that make you feel?



Do you really think your five 'chief cyber security analysts' are going to help you in your endeavours? Do you believe for one nanosecond that they have anything to contribute to computer science? Or does it bother you that these people are PR thugs tasked with halting the backlash against your company and your products?

Seriously - how do you sleep at night?

How about your current CEO? His popularity both inside and outside the company is worse than any CEO anywhere ever. Do you really think this is good leadership? Do you really think your company is doing the best for you and your future?

What about all the layoffs? Why do you think they've happened? Don't they have something to do with your company not being able to keep up with the times - and not being able to offer the world a good operating system and good software in general?

Do you really believe Windows Se7en is the shiznit? Are you really that dumb and drunk on Kool-Aid?

Surely you can see the 'new' interface is a weak makeover of Windows 95? Do you really think aquamarine and candy apple red is a better combination than industrial blue and candy apple red?

And you're still using that pathetic Marlett font for your window controls? Don't you think a real UI makeover should have got rid of such cheap implementations?

When you look around at the desktop of Windows Se7en surely you see pale copies of things done better and long ago by other software companies? Have you ever tried to find one single innovation your company didn't steal from someone else?

Don't you know why your company continually steals ideas from other companies - which is bad enough - and then retools them to make them worse? Doesn't that bother you - doesn't it bother you that people laugh at your lacklustre feeble efforts?

Really - don't you often feel the fool?

Aren't you getting tired of living in a metropolitan area where it rains nine months a year?

Best,
Tony