Comments on: Recent stealth update of Windows Update on XP can block patches – Is Microsoft sloppy?

By: Leonardo

Leonardo — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 01:56:28 +0000

BTW: I have just run into the problem, and MS’s fix did not work for me. The 1st patch would not install. Out of curiousity, I tried to install WU3.0 (second patch) and it did not go in. I didn’t have time to further research the problem as my friend was in a hurry.

By: Leonardo

Leonardo — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 23:42:09 +0000

I’ve always been EXTREMELY leery of running repair installs on any (MS) OS…
So, someone screwed up… I’m in IT, and I have… You have too.
Coders screw up, managers screw up, we’re just human after all.

A bad decision (non-disclosure) AND a screw-up are pretty funny, since it wasn’t me.

By: Dantv

Dantv — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 01:08:48 +0000

I subscribe to the Windows Secrets Newsletter and I already chewed them a new one on this issue. That newsletter has become nothing more that another Microsoft basher. I’m cancelling my subscription. This silent update was nothing more than a human screwup. But they think that they have uncovered some big super secret. Give me a break.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:56:28 +0000

Jim, you understand my point better if you compare this with negative comments about people from another country or city. It is simply wrong to generalize in such a way. You may criticize its leaders, but it doesn’t make sense to “perceive” 80,000 people in one way or the other. In this case Balmer and Gates probably even didn’t know about this silent update thing. So you can blame those who are responsible, but better stay quiet about the other 80,000.

Besides, I don’t see that Microsoft’s “culture” is any way different than with other major players in this business. If you ask me, they belong to the harmless ones. I am working in IT for about 20 years and I’ve dealt with quite a few IT companies. The only real difference is that MS is more successful than others. This is the real problem of this company. And that problem is unsolvable for any company. Rest assured that Google will soon be in the same situation as Microsoft is today. It has already started.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:03:22 +0000

I don’t find it a problem to point negative comments at MS as a company. It’s not about getting kudos with Apple or Linux folks as this is simple human nature that occurs with auto companies or any other company and how people perceive them. Not to mention when you get down to the legal side of things it is the company that represents any positives or negatives with their products or services.

Lastly as with any organization there is a culture or cultures among the company. I don’t mean ehtnic but a way in how the employees in this case act and react. MS has fixed some of their issues they’ve had over the last decade that led to the legal judgements against them but there are still issues and much of that is due to the culture. It takes a long time and alot of work to change a culture within a company of that size. No matter though it’s still the company that’s responsible and needs to make things right.