I do. I'm a software engineer and know that stuff pretty well. I also know that Microsoft employes a lot of people. I think around 90k or so, the number slips my mind. They do have the resources to go through let's say IE, IIS, and MSN messenger. Those three alone should stop a lot of holes and buy them quite a lot of good will from people like us, who knows their way around computers. Let's face it, we influence the people around us and what they buy. And I don't help any family running windows any more.

So what if Microsoft don't want to do something about the real problems of Vista? Or rather windows in general. Then they will ensure that slowly but surely they will loose ground until they are faced with having to write a new operating system, something they don't seem to have the guts to do. (For those screaming legacy, I am sure MS could easily emulate all the old stuff).

That being said, Microsoft can easily afford a 100 man team (far greater than OpenBSD could ever hope for) and start auditing their code, as well as improve their processes. They might have a lot more code, but they have a lot more resources, and if they don't even start, they will never finish. And that is just one of Windows problems, there are many more.

So until then, people will find the alternatives. I know I have. And so will my family. Heck, I am close to donating this very macbook to my sister just so I don't ever have hear about her very crappy Acer not remotely working as it should.

Most people choose the simplest and easiest alternative. I have an excellent internet connection by most standards, access to whatever I want because I have enough connections to get the access needed, but I still buy games off Steam. Why? Because it is both faster and more convenient than pirating. I don't have to go to a store, I don't have to have stupid CD/DVD installations, I don't have to get some halfwit bunch of rar files that goes into freaking daemon tools and crap and more crap.

With steam I simply choose a game, fill in some shit, and it is downloading directly to where I can play it. No irritating installation, no CDs, etc. The only game on my PC I've gotten in some other manner is Warhammer: Online. I haven't even freaking pirated a game.

So Valve has got the right idea for sure. The only thing that could come in the way is DRM, get that shit away from me. So here's a tip for all the game developers out there:

1. Don't make a game that sucks
2. Do not, ever, spend time on DRM, put that money and effort on 1 instead
3. Put it on steam
4. Profit

Now I just want Valve to get a Linux (not that I actually care) and a Mac version (which I do care about), because that would be awesome:)

Oh, and Valve, keep having those great special prices on bundles. That way I can get old games that I never had the time to check out and enjoy them too. Just do force the developers to update all games to a baseline (my 1680x1050 res wasn't liked by a certain game...).

Ever typed on a French keyboard? Or mayhap a Swedish one? Keyboard layouts aren't that darn perfect for all languages as it is right now, I'd love to see a completely new layout (incl number of keys) that are more compatible with the major languages that uses roughly the same characters. Take a generic sample of each of the target languages, run a nice little sexy algorithm over it, and then see how close they get, and then run a new algorithm over that to smooth out edges. Voila, it is not that complicated.

Dvork in all it's glory, but what material was it based on? I have an idea but am not 100%. but I am quite sure it's not that 2008 :)

If Microsoft audited their code and used the same kind of measures that OpenBSD does, they would be miles ahead of were they are now. Security models and sandboxes in all their glory, but a *lot* of the problems are down to faulty code, code that Microsoft owns and can audit and freaking fix. Only after they have done that can we talk security models and such things. With all the bugs and holes it is so easy to attack windows that nobody really will care about trying to do anything on a grander scale.

I say work 6 hour days instead, no overtime, no crisis, no nothing. Plan ahead and plan well, update your plans every week. If I work 6 hours, the next day I will be fully functioning and I will be very effective. Working 10+ hours will make me very ineffective and more mistakes will be made, less constructive solutions will be taken, and the quality of the code will be worse. High quality code is the key here, and it can't be created by tired, overworked, and worn out people. You can't keep up the intensity nor concentration if you don't get enough time away from it for personal stuff and sleep (not being able to get your personal stuff done / spend time with your friends and family will stress you out!).

Btw, my quick definition of quality code:

* Easily readable by everyone working with it
* Documented (not the same as commented)
* Unit tested fully before it is checked in and passing 100%, every time, all the time
* 100% of all tests always passing on your "main line" so your software is always in shipping condition
* Refactored and redesign on a continous basis to make sure adding to and changing the code is as painless as possible

And you will not get that from stressing the shit out of people!

(If in the zone, a 12h shift can be very effective, anyone doing so should get the next day off to rest up)

The scary thing, for Microsoft, is that 15% of its workforce could produce the next Windows, where any old Windows is emulated and they can start with a clean slate to get everything right. That could actually counter some of the problems the company has ran into because of Vista, a system plagued by inconsistency, a general feeling of not being done yet, and a poor performance experience.

Hopefully something good will come out of this, with the canned employees starting up new businesses and hopefully creating something new and exciting. The few Microsoft engineers I've met personally have all been very nice and competent, a far cry from the companies reputation.

Feh, just makt them play healers in WoW or Warhammer and there you go, problem solved!