A survey request from Dan Stolts

[Tom Metro]

David Hummel wrote:
> ...if I were to feel the need to provide feedback regarding Microsoft
> software..., this list (or any UNIX/Linux-related list for that
> matter) would be the last place I'd come to provide such feedback or
> expect to be solicited for it.

Did you look at the survey? It was basically one question, asking
whether you though Microsoft's community evangelism efforts were
effective. It didn't ask anything about opinions on Microsoft or their
products.

Once you know this, it makes more sense why they'd promote the survey in
a non-Microsoft friendly venue. They want to know if their evangelism
efforts have been effective in reaching out to the broader
user/developer community.

(In my opinion, they have not been effective. I didn't know they even
had such a group. And these days they can't depend on developers needing
to pay attention to them. In the last 5 to 10 years I've found it has
become increasingly practical to completely ignore what Microsoft is up
to, while still fulfilling the needs of clients.

If they wanted to be more effective, they should be doing things to
support the open source community, such as running their own version of
Google's "Summer of Code" program. And they should start taking the
concept of cross-platform seriously.)


> ...I have to assume that the survey is designed to benefit only
> Microsoft...

Well, of course it is.

But there can be benefits gained from responding, as well. For example,
if Microsoft learns that the open source community is distrustful of
Microsoft and feels they rarely contribute to open projects, then they
might choose to alter their behavior. (Which they have. These days it is
more likely to read about Microsoft cooperatively contributing to
projects, rather than using their former "embrace and extend" formula.)


> ...I'd rather spend my time contributing to software projects that I
> actually use and care about.

Which is a perfectly reasonable choice.

 -Tom

-- 
Tom Metro
Venture Logic, Newton, MA, USA
"Enterprise solutions through open source."
Professional Profile: http://tmetro.venturelogic.com/