Posts Tagged ‘Steve-O’s Rants’

This post has been inspired by the following website, who seems to be gaining in popularity (noted by their retweets and link-backs they show in comments below posts, etc.) and has obviously made a habit of not quoting any of their sources in any of their articles (and, at the time of this posting, has failed to quote my work): windows8news.com (Be careful not to trip and fall over any of their gazillion ads when the page loads)

Part of the benefit of doing this for a hobby is that I can break away from my regular format to rant and rave. I try to keep it to a minimum, but I have managed to be irked for the last time by something that TREMENDOUSLY… well, irks me, I suppose:

People who run, “news sites” and neglect to quote their sources.

Yes, I know it happens and I know it’s just a big pain in the ass that you have to deal with if you generate any number of sufficient traffic or make a name for yourself, but I’m the little guy on the totem pole here. I’m the guy with no corporate backing or any kind of incentive to do the things I do, other than incentives *I* create and because I enjoy doing them. Sure, I’ve got a couple of ads on the site, but those are incentives I’ve created that give back to me just a little bit. I don’t get paid to do this stuff and – contrary to how it may seem – I put a *lot* of time, hard work, and dedication into formulating and carrying out the methods I’ve personally developed to bring unique content to everyone.

Lets face it… I enjoy making people happy! I enjoy finding content that I know I’m the *only* person in the Microsoft news community to have at that very moment and posting it to my website for everyone to check out. I never have and I never will post on this site anything that has been given to me in confidence, without permission. Even with that in mind, the ratio of content posted from what was given to me versus content posted from what I’ve dug up is about 3% to 97%. Now, it’s not that I expect people to thank me for doing something I choose to do myself in the first place; far from it. I essentially fulfill a specific niche and most people pass on through with a, “ah, good to know” while they’re sitting at work and that’s great.

However, I *do* happen to follow a certain set of ethics when posting. If I find something from a source I want to remain confidential, I won’t post that source. The difference is, such a source isn’t another news site or someone who is going to feel just like I do about right now. Conversely, if I find something of interest on another person’s site that I deem worthy of reposting, I will absolutely do as such and their site will be properly credited (usually, many times throughout the post as I like to be gratuitous with the credit I give). If you’re unfamiliar with this, I’m not just bitching about some no-name, so ‘n so ripping off news from my site. No, there are strategic motives to not quoting references:

Traffic and Money, Money, Money: Yes, some people will do any and every underhanded thing they can to gain traffic or make even $0.01 off an ad click. What better than to rip-off the bleeding edge of news and make it look like you’re the source! You get away with duping however many viewers and they are none-the-wiser. After all, it’s not their job to care about where the information came from!

Popularity: Traffic and ad clicks are one thing, but popularity is where it’s at. Popularity happens when you can cease to care about the fluctuations in traffic… when your site still draws big numbers even if you don’t post anything for a while, etc. Without naming anyone specific, there are a number of websites around the web who have built a successful business model off of dodgily referencing sources just to keep all the traffic and build popularity. Personally, I don’t see too much discernment between those who don’t and those who intentionally work off of said business model.

In particular, I’m referencing what is known as, “link-building” and it works like this:

Post 1: I post something that’s hot-off-the-presses and I gratuitously link to the website where the information originated.

Post 2: Said website posts more information that’s relevant to the information they posted previously. I then cook up another post with the latest information, except this time, I only reference them in a hyperlink somewhere in the write-up. That’s just fine and dandy; we’re still giving credit where credit is due.

Post 3: Once more, our source for information posts yet another update. This time, I take the information they posted, re-word it, and post it on my site… but instead of linking to them, I link to one of MY previous posts and say it’s something that I previously reported on! Rinse and repeat this process however many posts thereafter and you’ve effectively washed out your source where, sure, if someone clicks through all the link-backs, they’ll eventually get to post 1 or 2 where the source was referenced, but by then, posts 1 and 2 are old news!

Now, that may not seem like a big deal, but if the news I’m grabbing is from the little guy somewhere and I’m Mr. big and popular website, then I’m the one who is going to end up landing all the traffic, credit, and (as I noted, this is a business model; not just a popularity contest) ad clicks.

So, there you have it! Some of the ugliness associated with being a journalist in this community (and, more specifically, a hobby journalist who’s easy to steal information from). You know, I hate it as much as the next person, but people tag their images for a reason. I don’t like doing it and I try not to do it, but it never fails to bite me in the ass when I don’t, so… apologies to those of you who hate watermarks; they’re an unfortunate necessity from here on out for me. And while I suspect that only those who can truly be empathetic with me will understand the conviction I am writing this post with, at the risk of sounding like a whiney baby, let me stand as the one to say for myself and every other journalist out there who puts the time, dedication and hard work into providing their content that:

People who don’t quote their sources deserve to be hit by a bus are the pond scum of this profession/hobby and I will make no bones about being a first-rate a-hole to any and all who exercise such a lack of courtesy and acknowledgment. That is all.

Thank you and good day!

-Stephen

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

Article: Windows Users Are Whiners

Man, I’m really having a field day with this Beez guy! He has really opened my eyes to why people like him help Linux stay under 1% of the market share. I want to translate what his article says:

“Linux is hard to install”
You probably bought a computer with Windows preinstalled and bought a new one when it came to a grinding halt. Next time try reinstalling it from scratch, drivers and applications included.

Translation: Yes, I would say the same thing to my mother because I’m unhappy with my life.

“Linux doesn’t support as much hardware”
Don’t worry. The occasional digital camera, memory stick and USB harddisk will probably work. Check the Internet, select the proper components and buy a custom computer. It is probably cheaper than a computer off the shelf with Windows preinstalled. If you want a laptop, try a Dell or consult the Internet.

Translation: Because my blog is epic enough for you to actually see this without the help of being linked to by a Windows evangelist site.

“I can’t run my programs on Linux”
True, if you want to run Linux programs on Windows you have probably more luck to find a native Windows version. But there are more ways to get the job done. If you want to burn a CD, you don’t need Nero. If you want to write a document, you don’t need MS-Word. If you want to manipulate an image, you don’t need Photoshop. If you want to develop a program, you don’t need MS-Visual Studio. K3B, OpenOffice, GIMP and Kdevelop work just as well. And yes, we do have Firefox.

Translation: Repeat after me: “WINDOWS DOESN’T HAVE FREEWARE! WINDOWS DOESN’T HAVE FREEWARE! WINDOWS DOESN’T HAVE FREEWARE! WINDOWS DOESN’T HAVE BUILT-IN SUPPORT TO BURN A CD! WORDPAD AND NOTEPAD AREN’T SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH TO WRITE A DOCUMENT! MS PAINT OR FREEWARE APPLICATION PAINT.NET WON’T ALLOW YOU TO MANIPULATE AN IMAGE! FREE PROGRAMS LIKE DEVC++ AND MICROSOFT’S .NET 2008 EXPRESS EDITIONS DON’T EXIST TO HELP YOU DEVELOP PROGRAMS FOR FREE! FIREFOX IS ONLY FOR LINUX!”

“I can’t play my games on Linux”
Computers aren’t there to play games. Try a console, buy an xBox and scratch your disks, I don’t care. If you want to do something serious, try Linux.

Translation: What’s that? Crysis is PC-only? Don’t tell ME what a computer is to be used for, damn it! I’ll tell YOU, YOU GOT THAT MR.!?!?!?!?!?! NOW GO INSTALL LINUX AND GIVE ME 100 PUSH UPS WHILE IT INSTALLS! DO IT!

“I don’t want to work on the command line”
My girlfriend uses Linux all the time. She doesn’t even know what a command line is. Get real. A good Linux distribution allows you to do all the essential stuff from the GUI. Don’t tell me editing the registry is easy.

Translation: Because your girlfriend will have to know how to edit the registry to use Windows! My girlfriend, though? She doesn’t even know what a command line is. Ha. Get real.

“Windows is just as secure as Linux”
Yeah, and my grandmother is world champion polka dancing. On Linux, there a no real threats where viruses, spyware or trojans are concerned. All the programs you have to install on Windows to get the thing remotely secure eat up CPU seconds and make your computer less stable and responsive.

Translation: People don’t particularly care to focus on developing malware for an OS that consumes a massive >1% of market share, so go Linux because no one else does!

“Windows is just as expensive”
Don’t think because it came preinstalled that you didn’t pay for Windows. Believe me, you did. And all these nice programs like Nero, Photoshop, MS-Office don’t come for free as well. You’re probably using pirated versions. Wait ’till your next WGA check.

Translation: I am God.

“I’m lame”
You’re probably right. You want it the easy way. You want to come home, plug in your computer and play some lame game right away. You don’t want to spend an hour installing an OS and think before you click a ‘continue’ button. And because you’ve been doing that for the last ten years, you don’t want to study some manual and learn a new program. You’re so lame, that you are even prepared to fork out your hard earned cash from your wallet in order to stay lame. You’re the kind of person that admits that carbondioxide emissions are a problem, but you’re too lame to take the bike to go to work. Instead, you bought yourself a Hummer because you thought it was cool. You’re the kind of person that prefers to write endless blogs full of excuses instead of making a change. Face it, it’s not Linux that is the problem, it is you.

Translation: My milkshake is better than yours.

Wow, what revealing translations we have! I’m starting to like this Beez character! He’s really showing me why Linux is so much better than Windows. Amazing!

-Stephen

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

When Linux becomes a religion, it seems to be more like that of a fundamentalist Judeo-Christian who proselytizes using fear-mongering tactics. Yes, our Linux buddy is back with another pro-Linux article that insists upon Windows users as being either ignorant or whiners (he’s calling US whiners!?). This guy is so caught up in his Linux religion that he’s pining away for, “world domination.” Bashing Windows is GOOD, he says! He started his article by linking mine within the context of, “a feeble attempt” to reply to his original diatribe. This guy is so indoctrinated in his Linux religion that he’s now believing in miracles, such as Linux even standing a chance against Windows 7. He is as delusional as he is well-versed in his OS. When a percentage increase in the 100′s causes an epic rise to >1% market share, and as such, is considered a victory, no wonder this guy feels like he’s on top of the world! Heck, should us “ignorant and whiney” Windows users expect anything LESS than for a guy like this to get up on his soapbox preaching the gospel of Linux?

Beez, please.

The fact of the matter is that there are completely intelligent people out there who happily use Windows even with all the options having been juxtaposed. I’ve tried your slackware, your SUSE, your RedHat, your Lycoris, your Ubuntu, your Gentoo, et al and guess what? I still come right back to Windows quite happily. Not to mention, as one with a natural disposition for problem solving and technical support, one little issue, as he posited, didn’t make me just give up and go back to Windows. I like being intelligent on many fronts and that includes OS usage. At the end of the day, Linux isn’t even a lateral move for me; it’s an uphill battle and a platform which I would have to give up things to adopt. No, your religion isn’t worth it for me to sacrifice the things I would need to.

So, what do you do when an intelligent Windows user steps up on his soapbox and says, “I’ve tried your OS and I don’t want to adopt it because it doesn’t do everything Windows does for me.” Yes, it’s powerful and useful to many people but until it does EVERYTHING Windows does – thus allowing me to make a shift without having to give up ANY functionality (please get Linux to run just ONE DX 10 game, and yes, I’m well aware of Alky’s former attempt; a good friend of mine who is a Windows user and probably twice as intelligent as you was a partner in that project) – I’m not going to switch.

Beez, please.

I don’t care how green you paint the pastures of Linux to be when I cross to the other side; the reality of the situation is that Linux cannot do everything I want and need Windows to do. That’s not to say that Linux can’t do things Windows can, because I’m quite sure that Linux has a lot of functionality for power users but I don’t NEED that, nor do I WANT it. When are the pastors of Linux going to open their eyes and realize that their OS isn’t at all the heaven they try to make it sound to be if Windows users accept it as their savior? At BEST, something like Ubuntu is merely a lateral move; albeit, a free lateral move, but a lateral move none-the-less and regardless of why people are using Windows, there’s a reasons Linux is still below 1% and that reason seems to flee guys like “The Beez,” and you know what? It’s just not something I can sum up here for him.

I’m happy using Windows even with having tried and tried again all the alternatives, just to see how far they’ve come in this day and age. Now, from that, a follower of the Linux faith can extrapolate whatever they so choose; I’m a whiner, I’m ignorant, etc. If that’s what they need at the end of the day to make them feel better that someone out there actually chooses Windows over their OS even with knowing the facts, then so be it. Me? I see it from the perspective of Occam’s razor: more than likely, the simple answer is the right answer. If you like Linux and it works for you, terrific. If you like OSX and it works for you, terrific. If you like Windows and it works for you, terrific.

Oh, but I keep forgetting; Linux has an uphill battle and their hill had might as well be 89 degrees. When the odds are THAT stacked against you, I guess we should somehow be sympathetic to their cause, huh? I mean, when letting people know everything your OS offers isn’t enough, what do you do? You resort to thoughts like, “bashing Windows is GOOD” and any attempt to refute the usability of Linux is “feeble.”

Beez, please.

Your faith in Linux cannot deter my rationale with Windows. Our languages are incompatible. When you resort to bashing Windows in the midst of me – a Windows user – openly admitting how useful Linux is (to the right demographic), I realize that we’re on different planes in this debate. So, you go ahead and keep screaming that Windows is the devil and all its users are actually suffering instead of feeling joy while using their OS! Your methods of proselytizing are clearly working for you, there, guy. Clearly. >1%. Clearly.

-Stephen

PS: Articles like this are sure to help in the Linux vs. Windows issue, don’t you think? When you put it like you did there, Beez, Windows is going to win every time. Yes, maybe people DO want to go home and have it easy. You ever wonder why mankind evolves from having to manually build a fire to inventing microwaves? Convenience. You’ve basically just shot yourself in the foot there by letting your personal opinion of peoples’ desire for convenience obscure the reality of what you’re really saying: Linux is a platform that requires you to be technically-inclined to use. Hey, Beez: Continue your insults. They’re DEFINITELY working for you! As you so eloquently put it, “Face it, it’s not Linux that is the problem, it is you.” Yes, people like YOU are the problem with your OS. Where you’re obviously technically inclined, you sorely lack in people skills.

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

You know, I’ve never been one for participating in the OS wars. I’ve always found the “live and let live” mentality to be the best approach for me, you know; you use what you love and I’ll use what I love. Unfortunately, such a neutral stance leads me to be impacted by all sides of the elitist attitudes running amok with all operating systems (though, mainly Linux, OSX, and Windows).

This is the article sparking my rant: Why Linux Makes Windows 7 Obsolete

First of all, this guy is just another in the looooooong line of Linux apologists who swear up ‘n down that every Windows release brings its ultimate demise and, thus, the rise of Linux abounds.

Uh, no.

Always calling it as they see it from their expert views of everything in the universe, many of the Linux elitists blame the >1% market share of their OS on stupid Windows morons who don’t know any better than to use an OS that costs them money. Oh, and I’ve also seen numerous people say that Windows’ market share success lies with the “fact” that so many people pirate the OS, thus making it free. Likewise, it appears that Windows can’t hold a candle to Linux’s command line abilities.

…hmm. Does it ever occur to these Linux dolts that even WITH a pirated OS, thus making it free, people are still CHOOSING the Microsoft product over a legitly free product? Blame it on marketing and stupidity all you want but the way I see it, people are choosing Windows regardless of the avenues or intelligence they use to obtain it. You know, we can talk technicalities all day but at the end of the day, in my mind, there is one MAJOR point to be considered: Where does a product stand on its own and what does it take to push it out there? Product evangelism is what it takes.

I mean, honestly, in all of the >1% of Linux’s user base, my personal experience with many of the people who use the Linux is that of defensive and elitist attitudes. For a person like me, if you’re going to sell your product to me, it’s NOT going to happen through you treating me like I’m some dumbass because I don’t use Linux… and I’m a guy who HAS used various flavors of Linux! I support a Redhat Linux environment at work! We run Informix and a GE access control product in a redundant Linux environment. Linux is stable, Linux is secure, and Linux provides all the functionality I need to support my client.

When I get home, do I want to run Linux? No. I want to run Windows. I like Windows. Windows does everything I WANT and NEED it to do. Why in the world am I going to spend the time to learn to adopt Linux when Windows does everything I want and need? Now, in my case, I’ve tried Linux in my home environment. I’ve tried Gentoo, Ubuntu, Lycoris back in the day, et al just to give it a shot and guess what? I gladly and willingly came right back to Windows. All that from a guy who has been open-minded enough to at least TRY to competition but that was out of sheer personal interest and not because I needed to.

If Windows gets bad enough for people to want to try something else, they’ll find it… but when they go looking for it, what do you think they’re going to want to see? It’s surely not a bunch of FUD and elitist posts from the Linux faithful who are willing to ostracize you simply for using the words “Microsoft” or “Windows”… oh, excuse me, I mean “Micro$oft” or “Windoze” (how original).

Long story short, the business aspect of Linux and Windows will happen as it has always happened.

In conclusion, let it be known that this post is not one where I say Linux sucks and Windows beats the crap out of everything! If you like Linux, use it! If you like OSX, use it! If you like Windows, use it! I don’t blame you! You like what you like and you use what you want to use because you want to use it. Wow, imagine that… a non-elitist attitude to represent fairness amongst all products and I’m a diehard Windows user. Yes, I evangelize Microsoft products because I enjoy them. I pay for them and do so gladly to get everything out of them that I do. Free doesn’t always equal better and when free doesn’t lead the people to your product, it’s going to take more than marketing on that level. So, my advice to all of you elitist OS users out there is to learn how to represent your OS in more approachable manners. You may think a person is ignorant or stupid for not using your OS but nothing will make them run faster from your product than saying as such. Could it be that such an attitude amongst Linux users has contributed to the extremely low market share it has, even with all that it has to offer? It may seem sappy but an even hand with a little bit of empathy can go a LONG way to fight your cause.

>1% market share is no reason to go writing a story about Linux making Windows 7 obsolete. lol. More than likely, that guy will have long passed away before Linux even makes it another %. Speculation, sure, but let’s get real.

-Stephen

UPDATE: If you’re here following The Beez’ latest article, I encourage you to check out my two most recent replies; including my rebuttle to his latest post and a reply to his revealing “Windows Users Are Whiners” article:

Article Rebuttle: When Linux Becomes A Religion

Windows Users Are Whiners Reply: Linux Users Are Intolerant

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

It never ceases to amaze me when people rant and rave about how their OS has done this or done that for years; blah, blah, blah. I’m a Windows user. I always have been and I don’t foresee it being any different in the future. I’ve tried various flavors of Linux, I’ve tried OSX, and even various other OS’s just to see what they were like. I don’t care whose had a translucent/transparent UI first or whose was the first to make your breakfast… wait, the breakfast thing would be pretty cool but it hasn’t happened yet, so disregard that one. lol.

Long story short, Windows has always done everything I’ve needed it to do. Period. Now, things I’ve WANTED Windows to do, I’ve certain experienced the typical roadblocks that may be found by any given user on any given OS. My computing needs are unique and cover a broad spectrum. Not that something like OSX couldn’t fulfill my computing needs but I have no reason or desire to take the time to fully learn a new OS. If your OS had a transparent UI first, SO WHAT! I consider everything that goes into each new revision of Windows to be value added. It’s like when a car gets remodeled to include features that may or may not be present in other cars; yeah, you may be aware of certain features elsewhere but it’s nowhere NEAR enough to make you get rid of what you’ve got! Then, when it comes around on what YOU have, it’s a bonus!

Now, take that analogy and apply it to features across the board where anti-Windows users constantly scream, “such and such OS has had X feature for X amount of time!” …and? The very same can be said about Windows in juxtaposition with every other OS, so it’s all about personal needs from an OS. Windows works for me. The OS wars are stupid to me since I’m fine with people finding what they want or need in whatever product they choose. I use Windows, you use Mac. I drive a Toyota Corolla, you drive a Honda Civic. If you like what you’ve got, stick with it.

Anyway, I know this is random but I just read some comment on a forum where some kid was going on about whatever Mac had first or whatever. From the business aspect, Microsoft and Apple can hash it out and I’m fine with that but don’t proselytize a product for a company if you don’t have anything more constructive to offer about it than the stuff you’ve supposedly had for however long. If people desire something THAT BAD, they’ll seek it out and chances are, if a transluscent UI or whatever other individual feature was that important to me, I would’ve sought it out. Since it wasn’t, hey… bonus when I get it if I want to use it. Otherwise, I’m just fine sticking with the very same functionality and usability from the OS I’ve used and loved for years.

Sorry for the random rant but it’s going to happen every once in a while. lol. Oh, and to all of you people who are expecting the world from Windows 7, chill out. Personally, I WANT time to work with a change as drastic as going from XP to Vista! So what if Windows 7 resembles Windows Vista where the UI is concerned? You mean to tell me that you want a DRASTIC change for every single revision of Windows? Hell, you’re not even going to get that from whatever other OS you decide to install! Suggestion: EDUCATE YOURSELF. Take the time to learn what’s changed under the hood and if you even want to upgrade. If all you’re doing is looking at screenshots of Windows 7 and saying, “man, this release is going to be just like Vista,” then you need take my advice and learn to look under the hood. You wouldn’t base your decision on which car to buy if given the choice between two similar looking ones without getting the details of what’s under the hood would you? Your answer should be no and the same methodology should apply here.

-Stephen

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

Once upon a time, there was a dragon by the name of yksfoniS nevetS. Even the mention of his name brought impending DOOOOOOM!!!! Just kidding… The name mention didn’t bring impending doom, but there really was a dragon named yksfoniS nevetS. Can I get an “lol?” Anyway…

As a Microsoft enthusiast and one who would absolutely love to work on the Windows team in some capacity, I feel I have a unique perspective of the now infamous “Silence of Sinofsky,” as I will dub it. This isn’t the typical Sinofsky-bashing as we have all become accustomed to. This is in support of Sinofsky and an understanding of his silence. For those interested, read on. For those who aren’t, CLICK HERE!

Stephen the Microsoft Enthusiast: GIVE ME DETAILS! GIVE ME BUILDS! GIVE ME VISUALS! ALL OF YOUR BUILDS ARE BELONG TO ME!!!!!

Stephen the Corporate Worker Bee: For as much of an enthusiast as I am, I am moreover a rationalist. I currently work as one of only 3 technicians world wide for a major bank in the realm of security and prior to this, I worked as an installer of many corporate security systems (no, not just simple alarm systems that go *boop, boop, boop!* when people break in. I installed systems in places where I had to drill through iron mesh and kevlar walls behind the finished drywall to run wires, so… major, major stuff). Bearing this in mind, Sinofsky is doing exactly what I would personally want him to do if I were in charge of Microsoft.

While the silence certainly isn’t anything I like as an enthusiast, it is exactly what I expect and would require if I were running Microsoft. When Microsoft makes promises, Microsoft has a history of letting people down… and it’s NOT because the end product is a failure! People hold Microsoft to ridiculous standards and view the company in the following manner (I know I posted this yesterday, but it’s so true and I want to drive the point home to many people that THIS is how they act):

Personally, when it comes to the usability and functionality of a product, I don’t want hype. I don’t want promises, I don’t want filler; I don’t want any of that. I want to know what a product contains when the developer of said product is ready to tell me because THEY know what it will contain and what I can expect when I deploy it. Look, Windows 7 isn’t even at beta 1 yet. I mean, what do you HONESTLY expect from a company like Microsoft to tell you? Have you NEVER developed or created something that you didn’t want to tell anyone about until it was at a certain point of fruition?

Good analogy for you here: “I want a sandwich for lunch next Monday and I want it to be the tastiest damn sandwich EVAR! Now, go make it!”

If that sandwich maker tells you everything that’s going to be on it, that’s what you’re going to expect, right? And if even ONE of those tasty ingredients is missing, you’re going to know it and regardless of how good that sandwich may be without that ONE ingredient, you’re going to feel disappointed. Now, what if you had no idea what ingredients were in that sandwich until they were ready for you to sample it 3 days prior to that Monday? All of a sudden, you’re trying what they’ve made when THEY are ready for you to because THEY have a feeling you’re going to love what they’re making! At this point, you can say “okay, add this/take this away.” They take that feedback, apply it, and you’ll have your sandwich on Monday. You may or may not like it, but your input was definitely taken into consideration.

Okay, while that isn’t some Plato-grade analogy, it serves the point I’m trying to make here. LET MICROSOFT WORK IN PEACE FOR A WHILE! I mean, at LEAST until Beta 1! When they’re ready to say, “here’s what we ARE going to offer you for a FACT, now tell us what you think,” they will. What do you REALLY need to know about the next version of Windows at least a YEAR before it’s supposed to be released!? NOTHING! Not a damn thing. lol. Go install Vista! Go try it! Even if you’ve heard only negative things about it, GO TRY IT! If you don’t like Vista, you’re *probably* going to hate 7 from the stance of usability. Vista should serve as your Windows 7 primer. If you have Vista and you like it, keep using it! How long have you been happily using XP? Apply the same to Vista.

Anyway, the main point here is to have patience and learn to embrace the silence during this phase of development. Microsoft acknowledges many of the flaws that occurred with the development, marketing, and WAY too early evangelism of Longhorn and they’re doing something about it. Embrace the Sinofsky! It may just very well pay off when we have one hell of a version of Windows when he is finally ready to break the silence on everything. Those of you who may know Sinofsky, give him a big hug the next time you see him wondering around campus! Do like that one Stride chewing gum commercial where the big dude just randomly walks up to the guy and gives him a huge bear hug. Do that to Steve! Then, tell him Stephen said to do that!

Finally, I’d like to end with this (if you have an avenue to contact Steven, please direct him to this):

Note to Steven Sinofsky and Microsoft: I am an enthusiast who probably loves Microsoft more than half of your employees. I would LOVE to work for Microsoft one day and actually apply this enthusiasm to some sort of productivity for your company. I post the information I post because I am excited about what you are doing and your visions of the future. Steven, if you happen to see this, I hope you understand this enthusiasm and receive it as such instead of begrudgingly. I understand the corporate process and the desire to gag any and everyone with internal access to your product, but rest assured that my aim is not to tarnish the image of Microsoft or act in defiance, but rather to help in the ways I personally feel I can. I am trying to create a site where people can come to and celebrate being a PC, so to speak. I’m sure you were upset with the posting of the 2 screenshots of 6780 here but this is journalism… enthusiastic journalism! I consider myself lucky to be in this position and having the ability to put a positive spin on the exclusives I am made privy to. I’m here to help and spread excitement and enthusiasm about Microsoft. Nothing more, nothing less. Thank you for your time.

-Stephen

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

I received an interesting comment by an anonymous reader (it’ll make complete sense why they chose to comment anonymously by the end of this post, trust me) to my blog entry about being too lazy to learn Vista. Here’s a quote of the comment (which I wouldn’t doubt he may decide to remove):

I hated this post so much. People don’t hate Vista for absolutely no reason. Everywhere I see people talking only superficially about these OSes, I wonder if they really use all parts of the OS on a daily basis.
1. Will they bring back the File Types tab complete with all the options?
2. Will they bring back using Shift to prevent Autoplay?
3. Will they being back the “Hide font variations” option which was removed unnecessarily from the Fonts folder?
4. Will they bring back the toolbar buttons including the Up button.
5. Will they bring back the ability to add a password to a compressed folder?
6. Will they bring back the Summary tab and the ability to view and edit metadata for any file on NTFS?
7. Will they reintroduce the IColumnProvider API?
8. Will Windows Explorer show the size on the status bar regardless of selection?
9. Will they fix the issue with deleting cached roaming profiles from Explorer?
10. Will they fix the issue where Defender interferes with Windows Color System, as a result, WCS is broken on Vista/only works till the first UAC prompt?
11. Will they bring back the KeepRasConnections registry key which was present under the Windows 2000/XP family and very useful while switching user accounts?
12. Will they bring back the ability to browse a domain structure?
13. Will they bring back the hibernation progress bar?
14. Will they bring back all the NTBackup features? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTBackup)
15. Will they bring back the lost functionality of the Address Book/Contacts?
16. Will they bring back context-sensitive help?
17. Will they revive the dead DirectX components?
18. Will they fix the botched servicing stack?
19. Will they fix the botched driver install experience and the DriveStore cache problem which eats up disk space?
20. Will the bring back the lost functionality of the Start menu?

And you say Vista ain’t bad? It *IS* really *BAD* and bad for a reason.

Translation:

This is your stereotypical exaggeration by someone who has probably never actually used Vista but wants to push the anti-Vista propaganda. Comments such as, “I wonder if they really use all parts of the OS on a daily basis” are comical when one actually takes into account what this would actually imply (hint: that list of 20 points doesn’t even come CLOSE).

You want to know what I find to be twice as horrific as “anonymous” seemed to have found my previous post to be? Let’s go on a little journey, shall we?

I found that list to be quite miraculous and too random to be literal points that any one person would notice. I mean, imagine the knowledge of Windows one would have to know to write a list like that… much less be affected by on a daily basis, as was implied by that wondrous comment, “I wonder if they really use all parts of the OS on a daily basis.” So, I decided to hit up the trusty ol’ Goooooogle, and low and behold, what did I find? I found the following list:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Features_removed_from_Windows_Vista

Okay, so that’s just a seemingly endless list of noninclusive features in Windows Vista, right? Here’s where the fun begins. Whichever browser you use, reference the functionality that allows you to search for text on a web page (in IE, it’s Edit -> Find). Now, let’s pick some keywords (which I will highlight with bold text) from each point of anonymous’ list:

1. Will they bring back the File Types tab complete with all the options?
2. Will they bring back using Shift to prevent Autoplay?
3. Will they being back the “Hide font variations” option which was removed unnecessarily from the Fonts folder?
4. Will they bring back the toolbar buttons including the Up button.
5. Will they bring back the ability to add a password to a compressed folder?
6. Will they bring back the Summary tab and the ability to view and edit metadata for any file on NTFS?
7. Will they reintroduce the IColumnProvider API?
8. Will Windows Explorer show the size on the status bar regardless of selection?
9. Will they fix the issue with deleting cached roaming profiles from Explorer?

11. Will they bring back the KeepRasConnections registry key which was present under the Windows 2000/XP family and very useful while switching user accounts?
12. Will they bring back the ability to browse a domain structure?
13. Will they bring back the hibernation progress bar?
14. Will they bring back all the NTBackup features? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTBackup)
15. Will they bring back the lost functionality of the Address Book/Contacts?
16. Will they bring back context-sensitive help?
17. Will they revive the dead DirectX components?
18. Will they fix the botched servicing stack?

20. Will the bring back the lost functionality of the Start menu?

That’s right, folks. Reading between anonymous’ rewording and textual embellishments, we find keywords from 1-20 (with the exception of 10 and 19, which anonymous seems to have obtained from some other page) that allows us to read down that wikipedia page like butter dripping off a hot roll! Hey, “Anonymous:” Next time, why not just try referencing full pages with all of their content? It’s a lot easier than selecting random points and rewording text. Better yet, just say, “I hate Microsoft just ’cause.” It would save people like me the effort to find your ignorance behind your facade.

Oh, I mean, uh… nice list, there. Real Windows pro you are, there, guy. A real pro.

Come on, folks. This is another point of mine and a KEY reason of why Microsoft has been needing to start something like the “I’m a PC” campaign. Too many people like this anonymous moron take it upon themselves to point out flaws that they themselves have probably not experienced… not even one. Why? Because it’s hard to when you’ve never installed the freakin’ OS! Anonymous didn’t list a single thing he himself had an issue with in regards to Vista. Anonymous merely sought out an authoritative list of existing issues and quoted it.

Can’t you anti-Microsoft folks come up with something a little less desperate? What a joke.

-Stephen

PS – Oh, and I’m sure this was just a big coincidence. I’m probably completely wrong. (I’m just calling it before anonymous’ bruised ego comes in here to enlighten me and the other rationalists who read my blog)

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

This whole “I’m a PC” thing sparked up some thoughts I’ve continued having in regards to Vista, so I’ve decided to take more of a philosophical approach to the faithful Windows users who don’t want to upgrade simply because they hate the lack of familiarity in Vista that they’ve had since day one of using Windows pre-Vista.

As far as people not wanting to switch from XP to Vista because of the UI, here are your choices:

1 – Continue using Windows XP until you’re just absolutely forced to upgrade to Vista. At that point, you’re way behind on the times and your learning curve is never any less steep than you feel it is right now.

2 – Pay a ridiculous price for a Mac and spend the time to learn a new OS.

3 – Buy the fastest PC with Vista you can buy with the same amount of money you would have spent on the Mac. Take the time to learn Vista instead of investing that time in learning Mac OS X.

4 – Go with a freeware OS, such as Ubuntu Linux, and again, spend the time learning not only a new OS, but the limitations you may very well be presented with by not using Windows.

Sure, Vista had its issues in the beginning, but so did XP! Vista is settling in quite nicely with SP1 integrated, and from what I hear of Windows 7, performance is only getting better and better. The rumors regarding Vista are horrible and I must say, only ignorant people and those who are anti-Microsoft are helping to spread them. The cost of hardware to run Vista efficiently on is nowhere near as high as is implied by so many people. Additionally, the UI isn’t as rough as you might think. It was frustrating for me at first, but the amount of research that went into creating the UI for Vista is intense. It’s there to help you. Yes, you have to learn how to navigate things a little differently, but ultimately, the UI is there to help you. I can’t believe people have been switching to Mac because they’re too lazy to learn an interface in Windows that was ultimately put there to help them.

There’s no need to “switch”. If you’re willing to put forth the effort to “switch,” then take a second to realize how much it’s going to cost you in money and time, then apply that cost to implementing Vista and the choice should be clear. Stop listening to the Mac propaganda that would have you believing you’re somehow “different” for the better if you buy a product from them instead of being “different” or the worst by using Windows. Educate yourself! Give Vista a shot. You’ll thank yourself for it when Windows 7 is released and if, by chance, you come to the conclusion that you just don’t like Vista after giving it a chance, then at least you have come to an informed decision based off of your own productivity instead of lazily repeating the same old anti-Vista prattle.

I realize this post is about as “fanboy” as it can get for Windows, but so what? I’m a PC, remember? =)

Summary: Don’t make rash decisions to “switch” based on lethargy and ignorance. Moving from XP to Windows 7 will contain at LEAST the same learning curve as migrating from XP to Vista, so you’d might as well get a jump on it and see for yourself. If you try it and you hate it, I’m sure Apple would love to sell you a spiffy-looking box full of cheap hardware at ultra-high prices and convince you that you’re “different” in some cheeky, intelligent way and NOT because you’re just another statistic in the PC/Mac switch campaign. Let me also add that I don’t think OS X is a bad product by any means! Controlled hardware environments, low userbase, and ambiguity all disguised by a facade of being different… no wonder OS X is devoid of the would-be horrific problems every Windows user supposedly experiences!

-Stephen

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

…run a Microsoft-centric blog! Please enjoy the following (I know I certainly do!)…

I guess Jobs fell right back into the whole “for us to win, Microsoft has to lose” mentality, huh?

What do you all think of the new Microsoft ad campaign? I think it’s great, personally. I already have more of an idea of what a PC does for people than a Mac and how long has Apple been running their ads for? Okay, so just what DOES your OS do, Apple? Give me the right to buy a Mac and feel I’m just different enough to label myself as such? “Look at me! iMcheeky! iMclever! iPaidwaytoomuch but iDon’tcare because iMdifferent! iWEEEEEEE!”

No thanks. I’ll stick to PC. =)

-Stephen

(Follow me on Twitter: msftkitchen)

So, I’m at the mall today doing my post-lunch walk when I happen to pass by a kiosk I’ve passed a hundred times prior only this time, something’s different… WAY different! Before I turned to look directly at what hung on the wall before me, I had to put on my sunglasses to rest assured the source of the infernal blue light would not be successful with robbing me of my vision. Alas! Instead of the usual professional studio picture of an upper-scale family residing inside the framed plasma TV, I was met with the one and only BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH! DUH-NUH-NUHHHHHHHHH *drums still going………………..okay, no more drums*. As I proceeded to die unexpectedly due to a raging fit of laughter, I somehow managed to muster up the strength to remove my cell phone from my pocket and snap a picture of this glorious moment: A FRAMED BSOD! Oh, the symbolism! Oh, the irony! …and then… I knew I had to share this moment with all of my friends and readers. =) And now… without any further adieu… I give you:

(Click the image for the full picture… get it!? HAHAHAHA… HAHAhaha..haha… ha. ha?)

-Stephen =)