Scoble’s Link Blog

When W2k3 Server was released, it was the first time I saw an active portion of Microsoft website looking for product suggestions.  I’ve since seen this feature on many Microsoft products.  I understand why they don’t put it on every page, I’m sure a lot of 13 year olds would just send "B3 mor3 lik3 linux!"

So, I sent in a few suggestions.

Just recently, I got this back:

I am Vince, a member of the Windows Server Feedback Response Team and I just reviewed your feedback. Thank you for sending us your feedback in such detail!!

 

Your suggestion on a command line feature that will leverage WMI with modern office database interfaces is a good one. This will certainly help in getting the required details like last IP used, current RAM etc. of each machine in an easier manner. This will eliminate the need of going physically to each machine for getting this data and thus will help in saving a considerable amount of time.

 

Regarding your suggestions on a wizard similar to ""backup wizard"" and a console that gathers all log files centrally, I want to mention that these are also well taken.

 

I think all your suggestions are really good and I am forwarding them to the Product Development Team at Microsoft for further review. I am sure they will find them quite interesting.

 

It is really wonderful that customers like you are showing great interest in sharing their thoughts with us. Every suggestion coming our way from customers like you is important for us.

 

Thank you again for taking the time to share your views with us. Hope to see your continued participation in this forum.

 

Sincerely,

 

Windows Server Feedback Response Team

There was also a note saying they just realized some feedback did not make it to those who submitted suggestions to the WSFRT.  So you saw it here first folks.  Look for the following features in 2003:  Servers acting more as managers of their member PCs.  Centralized Reporting and WMI wizards on the server to automatically tap the reporting potential of WMI member PCs.

So this got me thinking… HOW many suggestions have I made to Microsoft that I’ve actually seen implemented.  Well it would appear so far I am 8 for 8.  Here goes:

Visual Studio suggestion:  Code snippets collaboration.  In a feedback directly about the help files a request for more examples in the help documents that are of .net technology not the old stuff.  I also wanted procedure based snippets.  Well turns out they have an entire website dedicated to it.  (Well take that back I havn’t been there I just heard about it.)  They have a bunch of snippets and collaboration items discussed on Channel 9.  Well worth the look.

When I was in a Windows 98 OEM Update training class (all of 8 students), we sent a suggestion to make System Information Searchable.  If memory serves correctly it didn’t make the big release that was a few months later but it did make OSR2.  At the very least it was in 2000.

Flat fee licensing.  I made this recommendation to a number of Microsoft sales reps.  I don’t know if I can take credit for this one because it may have predated my suggestion.  The cool thing is, I had the idea, and found it later.  I also recommended sales reps spend more time promoting Microsoft technical support.  I’ve heard first hand be sucessful in helping three customers with a common problem that resulted from XP SP2 (very minor).  Not only did they NOT charge them, there was an 800 number for people to call with SP2 issues.  (Don’t ask me I don’t even know if it is up anymore.)  So how did the Microsoft rep find out about it?  Jeers and complaints from an audience.  NOT because the customer picked up the phone and called the sales rep and said "Hey, mister or misses sales rep, do you think you can help me with this problem?"

Including training and other benefits with Software Assurance.  Not really sure when I suggested this one, so I’m not going to count it.

Excluding those who did not pay for Microsoft software from updates.  I know I told a MS employee this directly "The people who are stealing software are going to complain anyway.  Why don’t they lock them out?"  and his thoughts were… it could be because they are concerned for those who pay for the software are getting attacked by compromised systems of those who arent patched.  This almost made sense for a few moments then I realized and pointed out "If they can’t afford the software, and they’re running it anyway they have already proven they are not responsible. How can we expect them to be responsible and keep it up to date?"  Son of a gun if they didn’t cut off updates for unlicensed users about six months later.  (Arrr… sorry software pirates)

Old school BBS style features of internet collaboration.  I’ve talked with Microsoft sales reps and sent requests in for more software like simple old BBSes.  Simple to deploy and maintain forums, with user groups integrated into Active Directory, identity management (Sharepoint has extremely impressive profile management).  Sharepoint, Spaces, Messenger, and the new Exchange features all seem like implementations of these simple community building concepts to me.

Auto Update by default:  This one is not completely implemented in my opinion because users are still prompted to turn this feature on, but here is my suggestion and prediction:  in the future, it will not ask, it will just be on.

So in my book that makes me 8 for 8 on suggestions to Microsoft.  That’s one per year.  Not bad.

I’ve spent considerable time trying to remember suggestions I’ve made that were not implemented - and the list of implemented just got longer.

So here is my next idea for the Microsoft Spaces Team:

Comment feilds have an extreme feeling of being closed in and narrow.  Why not open up the features of spaces more and include classics like: Polls, Forums, Avatars, and a group membership for spaces much like the old classic webrings.  Bloggers could merge their forum subscriptions into a group membership that would share posts, calendars, etc.  (could call them SpaceNets)  Commentators on Spaces all have passports illustrates the ease of extending this authenticated access in a responsible controllable manner.