Update to the Microsoft DreamSpark interview

Author's note by foobar, on 26-FEB-2008 16:55

@freitasm: Hm. Maybe that's what Mr. Lo said, but I still think that what I wrote was actually the correct answer.

Author's note by foobar, on 1-MAR-2008 04:45

@Nigel: Firstly, do YOU think that any of this was done my Microsoft out of the goodness of their hearts? Of course not! If you think that (which I don't believe), you really have drunk too much of that Kool-Aid.

So, why don't we all just stop kidding ourselves: The reason Microsoft gives officially for this move is complete BS. The 'translation' I provided is much closer to the truth. There have been plenty of industry observers who have commented on that already. This is not a secret, it's totally obvious to anyone. I think we should all be able to agree with that, no?

You go on here about how agile web businesses in New Zealand are build on Microsoft stuff. Yes, exactly! That's what I also commented on, no? Didn't I say that Microsoft has done a great job in making students here believe that the only worth while technologies are from Microsoft? And they have to make sure it stays that way. That's exactly what this initiative is about.

Oh, and maybe New Zealand is a bit backwards in the respect, but internationally open source developers actually earn more! Take a look here. That is a VERY worrysome trend for Microsoft, and they need to fight that.

But you work at Microsoft, so you should know that already.

Author's note by foobar, on 1-MAR-2008 22:08

@nigel: I don't have much experience with the Microsoft development tools, but I have heard that they are actually quite good. I don't have an issue with that. It just amazes me how you apparently completely miss the point of my post? How come? You keep commenting about totally different things. Why?

Anyway, let me just state here: I don't hate Microsoft, or Bill Gates, or Steve Ballmer. For all I know, they could be the nicest guys in the world. And Microsoft is a hugely successful company, with a whole lot of really smart people working for them, and who are very successful at what all publicly traded companies have to do: Maximise shareholder value. That is their main mission in life. There's nothing wrong with that, and they all need to do that. Some do it more successfully than others. I don't doubt that there are some people in Microsoft who genuinely care about students, but to suggest that moves like DreamSpark are not driven by the overriding business concerns (maximising shareholder value) is naive. I know you know that. Please don't insult anyone's intelligence by suggesting otherwise.

But I do tell you one thing: If you accuse someone who professionally works in technology to "hate" a technology, company or people in some other business, people he has never met personally, you are basically accusing this person of gross incompetence and and professional misconduct. That is a completely un-called for ad hominem attack. I would expect better from a self proclaimed highly experienced professional as you are. Very disappointing, Nigel. I sure hope you are not speaking in any official function for Microsoft NZ, no? That would reflect terribly badly on your employer.

Author's note by foobar, on 3-MAR-2008 08:55

@chakkaradeep: Hello Chaks, how nice of you to come by again. We have missed your amusing (and sometimes scary) comments.

You are still a student, so you can be forgiven for still being a tad naive about a few things in life. I know that you really, really like Microsoft. You don't mind saying so, and show it very clearly in the design of your Geekzone blog and all. So, just like you seem to think that talking to me about these things is a waste of time, I'm afraid the reverse holds true as well.

Still, though, your membership in the Microsoft fan-club should not distort your view on reality. Sadly, it does as your postings demonstrate, over and over again.

I'm glad that you as a student 'learn everything' (haha!), but your ability to completely miss the point of my postings apparently knows no bounds. Astonishing! I talk about one thing, and you come back with something completely different and unrelated. I guess you haven't learned how to discuss properly then yet, right? Can you stick to the point, please? When I talk about business strategies, you come back commenting on how great all those Microsoft tools are. What's that got to do with anything? Have I ever said that they are not great? But you don't seem to realise that. I talk about freedom, you don't know how to respond to that and start talking about something else. Please, don't embarrass yourself.

I talk about the fact that a large corporation gives some of their products away for free. And while most people can very clearly see this for what it is, you strangely seem to lack that ability. Here's something for you to learn: Large, publicly traded corporations have but one single responsibility in life: Increase shareholder value. It doesn't matter who they are and what they are called. Microsoft, Google, Apple, IBM, Ford, McDonalds, it doesn't matter. They will never give up a revenue stream for nothing tangible (shareholder value) in return. That's not because they are evil or anything like that. I never would say that they are evil, or that you have to hate them for that. It's just business. Nothing wrong with that at all. No, they simply do that because that's what they have to do.

So, whenever any large corporation announces some nice-sounding sponsorship deal, or special promotion, in which some spokes person will then extol the virtues of this program, this company and how it is all done for the greater good of humanity... well, whenever that happens your BS-meter should jump up and warn you. There has to be another motive behind it (see previous paragraph), and their PR department is trying to come up with a story that makes it sound really nice, and warm and fuzzy. You seriously think that this is not the case? Hook, line and sinker...

I'm afraid that your student buddies from the Microsoft fan-club suffer the same problem. They make all the same mistakes in argumentation as you, they miss the point I'm trying to make, and they also seem to have fully bought into the corporate spin from Microsoft. I don't really care all that much about you personally, but it does concern me deeply if this sad sate of mind would prevail in the New Zealand student community.

Author's note by foobar, on 3-MAR-2008 22:40

@chakkaradeep: See, that's your problem. You seem to think that you have to explain these things to me, while in your attempt to do so you are just exposing the obvious need to have things explained to you. Sadly, the closed mind you accuse me of having seems to be at least as much at home with you than with me...