Microsoft poisons the well

Data point #1: several of our businesses have had huge, unexplained rises in support calls over the past year. Each business has had some possible causes they've been able to cite, but something doesn't add up. (Granted, finding out what's really going on in a call centre is incredibly difficult for some reason – astrologers know the future better than call centres know their present.)

Data point #2: I can't get Windows XP to work anymore. Even if I install a virgin image on a clean real or virtual machine, after applying all of the updates, it just doesn't work right – Windows Update crashes, or won't work anymore, or tells me to update every day, but can't install anything. I've been seeing and hearing about this on other peoples' machines. Once rock-steady, Windows XP suddenly seems more like Windows Me.

Data point #3: Windows Vista is now on the market.

Theory: Microsoft is deliberately poisoning the well in order to drive updates to Windows Vista. Many had opined that Windows XP is not obsolete, and that demand for Vista would be weak (especially considering its gluttonous hardware requirements). So, because Microsoft has Windows Update as an IV into all of the Windows XP boxes out there, and has been carefully making sure that the feed is turned on, they can mainline Windows XP machines with a hot shot of polonium.

Yes I'm paranoid, but Microsoft is a convicted monopolist. Are they capable of this? Sure. Are they smart enough to do this? Yeah. (Of course, Windows Update could be broken because Microsoft is just incompetent.) Am I looking to be sued for slander? Not so much, though I would greatly enjoy the discovery process in my defense.

This may explain what Sievert means about "virtual lines" – every Windows XP box crying out in terror, and then going silent – and every Windows user lining up to buy a new machine.

Quiet Vista launch

Two choice quotes:

...it's just an operating system. In 1995 that alone was a big deal. Vista would have to desalinate water or levitate things to deserve such hype.

When asked why people weren't lining up outside stores at midnight, Windows marketing overseer Mike Sievert says:

“The world's changed in so many ways since 1995,” he said. “Some of those lines that you're talking about may be virtual instead of physical this time around.”

Virtual. Like, in his dreams?

Microsoft targeting its apps for Linux

Believe me, I'll be thrilled when Linux supplants Windows and conquers the desktop... but the enemy of your enemy is not always your friend. The open source commoditization beast ate the database market (digestion takes longer than peristalsis). It's chewing on the operating system.

Guess who's on the plate.

The good news is that the era of market-imposed artificial scarcity of software is coming to an end, and we'll all reap the benefits. The bad news is that Sage's license revenue will disappear along with it. I think that'll take a long time though.

Five years.

So yeah, I love open source and want Linux to win. Never mind that I'm a filthy communist, though - I still like a paycheck, and unless Sage learns to ride the wave and make open source part of its business (like MySQL did), we'll be in Pervasive's position before long.

As will Microsoft.

If you don't think this is cheerful, ask me sometime what I think about information ecology and first contact. When it comes to our relative prospects in a world dominated by open source, call me Pollyanna.

Open letter to The Falls Church

I'm pleased to see the principled stand that The Falls Church has taken. I fully support your schismatic principles, and encourage you to take them to their logical conclusion: to schism, and schism, and schism again until you are surrounded only by those with whom you agree on every single principle. They you will be surrounded by the righteous and holy. (And mirrors.)

Congratulations, and good luck with the real estate negotiations. It is important to always put first things first. Keep doing Jesus proud.

Bad service? Bad PR.

There's little doubt that the information age has changed how companies need to handle customers complaints to avoid bad public relations. This guy got mad at how United screwed his parents and made a blog. It got picked up by Consumerist, then Cory. And now United is getting email from a bunch of angry people. How embarrassed I am for modern business... these companies think they're still operating in the 1950s.

New house

We're working through a deal to buy a new house here in Vancouver. Did I say house? I meant "tiny little 71 m² condo". Have a look at it. Note: in real life, the building is finished.

Web 2.0 valuations

If you saw my post about LinkedIn, you saw how I thought it was taking off. Yes, but is anybody paying for its services?

By the way, the combined cash flow of Spot Runner, LinkedIn and Facebook is less than that of one Costco store. -- Carl Bialik, WSJ.

Swimming in Brown

Due to recent shipping issues, I'm afraid I'll have to dissuade friends from shipping things to me here in Canada through UPS. Though I've always been impressed by UPS customer service in the states, here in Canada they really miss the mark. Between customs difficulties and the apparent inability to put a note on a door, or to recover well from either of these situations, I recommend using one of these three services instead: USPS/Postes Canada Post, FedEx, or Purolator/DHL.

James Brown Is Dead

Too bad he's dead... the Bush White House will need another spokesman after Tony Snow loses steam, and this guy can avoid a question like nobody else.

LinkedIn

This was recommended to me today, and I was somewhat dubious. Ah, another Friendster clone, I thought. Well, yes, in fact, it is -- but built for business. This is the sort of thing that, if done right, could wipe out ACT! and take over the contact management market. Hell, if it synced to my cell phones I'd even shell out actual money for it. What really surprised me was that in my first pass through my address book 34 people I knew were already members. Some of them actually even seem to have used it (though there were only about 8 of them with more than 2 contacts). An old friend even found me, though he has ~400 contacts and probably takes it pretty seriously.