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Microsoft reorganizes

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Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#11

Post by bryanlarsen »

bornhuetter wrote: post #9
venomsnake wrote: post #4

Is there a reason CEOs cannot use normal English but have to dilute the language so much? For me the TL:DR after struggling to read it was - full steam ahead to the biggest walled garden on earth. We are still the Borg. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

I don't understand how anyone in their right minds can consider Windows to be the "biggest walled garden on earth". There is plenty to criticize about Microsoft, but when you descend into completely nonsensical arguments you lose all credibility.

I don't think the OP was arguing that Windows is currently a walled garden, but is arguing that Windows is moving in that direction.

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#12

Post by kvb »

If you want to understand Microsoft, you could do a lot worse than reading http://hal2020.com/, by a former General Manager at Microsoft. I learn something from pretty much every blog post he writes.

For instance, in his most recent post he discusses how the lack of coordination between the divisions after the 2005 reorg can be viewed as a feature rather than a bug, but also something that now needs to be changed.

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#13

Post by bornhuetter »

sbierwagen wrote: post #10
bornhuetter wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand how anyone in their right minds can consider Windows to be the "biggest walled garden on earth". There is plenty to criticize about Microsoft, but when you descend into completely nonsensical arguments you lose all credibility.

He's talking more about Windows Phone, the Windows 8 apps, and Xbox.

Is Windows Phone more of a walled garden than than iOS? Is the Xbox more of a walled garden than the Wii U? The argument is still complete hyperbole.

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#14

Post by venomsnake »

bornhuetter wrote: post #9
venomsnake wrote: post #4

Is there a reason CEOs cannot use normal English but have to dilute the language so much? For me the TL:DR after struggling to read it was - full steam ahead to the biggest walled garden on earth. We are still the Borg. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

I don't understand how anyone in their right minds can consider Windows to be the "biggest walled garden on earth". There is plenty to criticize about Microsoft, but when you descend into completely nonsensical arguments you lose all credibility.

They are moving in that direction since the W8 store was revealed and they are doubling down right now.

All parts of the company will share and contribute to the success of core offerings, like Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox, Surface, Office 365 and our EA offer, Bing, Skype, Dynamics, Azure and our servers. All parts of the company will contribute to activating high-value experiences for our customers.

High value experience is euphemism for gatekeeper from what I have seen.

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#16

Post by bornhuetter »

bryanlarsen wrote: post #11
bornhuetter wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand how anyone in their right minds can consider Windows to be the "biggest walled garden on earth". There is plenty to criticize about Microsoft, but when you descend into completely nonsensical arguments you lose all credibility.

I don't think the OP was arguing that Windows is currently a walled garden, but is arguing that Windows is moving in that direction.

If OP had said criticized Microsoft for moving toward being more closed, I would have completely agreed with him (to the extent that it is relevant to the link, which it isn't really). But he said "full steam ahead to the biggest walled garden on earth. We are still the Borg", and so his comment loses all credibility.

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#17

Post by michaelochurch »

What look like complex failures in organizations are often rooted in simple causes. In Microsoft, it's stack-ranking and Enron-style (that is, visible in transfer packet) performance reviews.

When you have stack-ranking, you never get harmonious teams and "all-star" sub-organizations are out of the question. When performance reviews are part of the transfer process, people become largely immobile and teams become permanent camps and you get warring departments. Closed allocation, at that scale, is cultural toxic sludge in general.

Simple causes. Simple fixes. Wordy say-nothing emails that inject political complexity, when simple solutions are available, are really not helpful.

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#19

Post by bornhuetter »

venomsnake wrote: post #14
bornhuetter wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand how anyone in their right minds can consider Windows to be the "biggest walled garden on earth". There is plenty to criticize about Microsoft, but when you descend into completely nonsensical arguments you lose all credibility.

They are moving in that direction since the W8 store was revealed and they are doubling down right now. All parts of the company will share and contribute to the success of core offerings, like Windows, Windows Phone, Xbox, Surface, Office 365 and our EA offer, Bing, Skype, Dynamics, Azure and our servers. All parts of the company will contribute to activating high-value experiences for our customers. High value expe…

I agree with you that Microsoft is becoming more closed, and that that is a bad thing. However, when you say "full steam ahead to the biggest walled garden on earth. We are still the Borg" it is so over the top that I can't take your comment seriously. Similarly to how I pretty much write off any comment that uses the terms M$ or "Cupertino idiot tax" unless used ironically.

Re: Microsoft reorganizes

#20

Post by iaskwhy »

bornhuetter wrote: post #13
sbierwagen wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He's talking more about Windows Phone, the Windows 8 apps, and Xbox.

Is Windows Phone more of a walled garden than than iOS? Is the Xbox more of a walled garden than the Wii U? The argument is still complete hyperbole.

Together they are.
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