It was inevitable. MVPs have privately voiced concerns to Microsoft about the quality of patches coming out of Sustained Engineering. That feedback went somewhere up the chain and out the back door.
Then after many months and the July 2013 disasters, some of us decided to talk about it publicly on social media. Some Microsoft people in Redmond agree with our concerns, expressing embarrassment that their hard work is being diminished by a laughable resource planning policy decision. Once again, no notable changes to the CA-style “testing”.
Now I’ve just read on Silicon Republic that MVP Susan Bradley (AKA the SBS Diva) has written to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to address her concerns.
“On behalf of everyone in this community, may I respectfully request that you assign someone in a management position to investigate what is going on with quality control with patch testing lately?” Bradley asked Ballmer.
A certain negative response from a few Microsoft people to Susan’s letter is reported in the article. I do recognise that experience.
I’m glad this has gone “main stream” and been picked up by the media. To be honest, I think we have to embarrass whatever executive is responsible for this mess into making a much-needed change.
EDIT:
Mary Jo Foley just pinged me on Twitter to let me know that Larry Seltzer had previously posted a similar story on ZDnet. And don’t forget that myself and Hans Vredevoort also raised issues in Windows Server and System Center in July. To be honest, I think there’s a mindset with the power-that-is that will only increase the cost of testing if sales are hit. The power to make a change is in your hands.
EDIT:
And Rod Trent also posted a story on this problem on Windows IT Pro.
EDIT:
Add Redmond Magazine to the list.