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IBM didn't want Microsoft to use the Tab key to move between dialog fields

devblogs.microsoft.com

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Re: IBM didn't want Microsoft to use the Tab key to move between dialog fields

#231

Post by laacz »

protocolture wrote: post #164
AndrewStephens wrote: post #124

IBM was legendarily over-managed. This is second-hand but a guy I used to work with told a story of when he interned for a summer at IBM in London during the mid-90s doing what would now be called a QA engineering. At that time everyone wore suits to work but the culture was changing so the interns put in a request to be allowed casual Fridays. Bear in mind that they were locked in a back room somewhere without any c…

I have a few of these. I asked to be excepted from a contract condition giving IBM first pick on any IP I develop in my own time. Keep in mind, I was working in one of their technical support call centres. I had no access to IBM proprietary information, I had no role in developing it, I was a complete non risk on this front. I had more access to customer systems, no access to RED or BLUE networks, just an IBM lotus n…

This sent me down a rabbit hole. In the US, the PIIA effectively is the law - your employer gets to decide whether your side project "relates to their business." In the EU (where I am) it's basically: not on a work laptop, not on work hours? Yours.

I'm fine here :)

Re: IBM didn't want Microsoft to use the Tab key to move between dialog fields

#232

Post by svat »

thaumasiotes wrote: post #179
IcyWindows wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I worked on a software project make years ago. We spent a lot of money over months doing users studies to figure out the best UI for a narrow demographic. The final UI was simple and intuitive, but it took a lot of money figuring it out. I don't think the money would have been spent if our competition could immediately copy what we figured out. Customers did benefit then, and now, 20 years later, anyone can do it, an…

So... in this scenario, what would happen with a patent that wouldn't happen without a patent?

I don't know whether I'm missing something obvious, but with a patent, only the patenting company would use their patented idea. In your post you say:

> If you disclose your brilliant idea, everyone will copy it and your advantage in the marketplace will be transitory.

but that is the very point that patents are supposed to prevent. So why do you say that?

The post you're replying to says:

> I don't think the money would have been spent if our competition could immediately copy what we figured out. Customers did benefit then, and now, 20 years later, anyone can do it

so clearly the patent worked for them: they were able to use their simple and intuitive UI, while the competition could not copy it till 20 years later. So what is the question?

Re: IBM didn't want Microsoft to use the Tab key to move between dialog fields

#234

Post by pezezin »

pseudohadamard wrote: post #202
jiggawatts wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I work with a lot of government departments. The "policy" is not a thing that can enforce itself, and often barely exists at all. Rarely is it actually written down! Mostly these things boil down to a vetocracy where all managers in some hierarch must say 'yes', otherwise a single 'no' is a final 'no'. Hence, the trick is not to ask because the more people are involved the higher the chance that one of them will say…

> Hence, the trick is not to ask because the more people are involved the higher the chance that one of them will say 'no'. So in my case at IBM the trick to being able to keep a hand-and-a-half sword in your office is to just have it appear there one day. My boss did a bit of a double-take the first time he saw it but that was the only reaction I got. They did have a "no firearms in the building" policy but that did…

And I thought I was crazy for keeping a crowbar in the office...

(I work at a particle accelerator and we need to protect ourselves for interdimensional breaches)

Re: IBM didn't want Microsoft to use the Tab key to move between dialog fields

#235

Post by Obscurity4340 »

pezezin wrote: post #234
pseudohadamard wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Hence, the trick is not to ask because the more people are involved the higher the chance that one of them will say 'no'. So in my case at IBM the trick to being able to keep a hand-and-a-half sword in your office is to just have it appear there one day. My boss did a bit of a double-take the first time he saw it but that was the only reaction I got. They did have a "no firearms in the building" policy but that did…

And I thought I was crazy for keeping a crowbar in the office... (I work at a particle accelerator and we need to protect ourselves for interdimensional breaches)

Do you truky, in your heart of hearts, believe that?

Re: IBM didn't want Microsoft to use the Tab key to move between dialog fields

#236

Post by throw1234567891 »

kelvinjps10 wrote: post #228
nomel wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a very legitimate question: In the US, where is it not? Public buses aren't safe, clean, or timely. Where I am, it's 2.5 hours rather than a 26 minute commute by car. The only reason you ride one is usually if you are already in the proximity of your destination, especially if that destination is downtown. For all other cases, private or ride-share makes way more sense. We're talking buses here, not shuttles,…

In other countries most people use public transportation and small percentage uses car

US is different, deal with it.

Re: IBM didn't want Microsoft to use the Tab key to move between dialog fields

#237

Post by twoodfin »

badsectoracula wrote: post #154
rbanffy wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Microsoft advanced the state of UI and UX more than anyone else in the '90s. There is no universe where that is true.

There is: this one. Win95's UI was so incredibly influential that stuff introduced by it are still around to this day.

I think that’s right, but it’s fair to point out that Windows 95 was (if you believe Steven Sinofsky, who should know) heavily influenced by NeXT!

https://hardcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com/p/009-passwo...

Re: IBM didn't want Microsoft to use the Tab key to move between dialog fields

#238

Post by pseudohadamard »

pezezin wrote: post #234
pseudohadamard wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Hence, the trick is not to ask because the more people are involved the higher the chance that one of them will say 'no'. So in my case at IBM the trick to being able to keep a hand-and-a-half sword in your office is to just have it appear there one day. My boss did a bit of a double-take the first time he saw it but that was the only reaction I got. They did have a "no firearms in the building" policy but that did…

And I thought I was crazy for keeping a crowbar in the office... (I work at a particle accelerator and we need to protect ourselves for interdimensional breaches)

Wouldn't you also want to keep a can of spray paint to draw the Elder Sign? You know, in case it was needed in a hurry.

Come to think of it, does an Elder Sign still work if you spray it onto a wall using a template? I think you need to investigate that the next time there's a breach... you've got plenty of interns right?

Re: IBM didn't want Microsoft to use the Tab key to move between dialog fields

#239

Post by pezezin »

Obscurity4340 wrote: post #235
pezezin wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And I thought I was crazy for keeping a crowbar in the office... (I work at a particle accelerator and we need to protect ourselves for interdimensional breaches)

Do you truky, in your heart of hearts, believe that?

It is obviously a joke, but I bought it after several visitors asked us if we didn't have a crowbar xD

Re: IBM didn't want Microsoft to use the Tab key to move between dialog fields

#240

Post by pezezin »

pseudohadamard wrote: post #238
pezezin wrote: post #234

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And I thought I was crazy for keeping a crowbar in the office... (I work at a particle accelerator and we need to protect ourselves for interdimensional breaches)

Wouldn't you also want to keep a can of spray paint to draw the Elder Sign? You know, in case it was needed in a hurry. Come to think of it, does an Elder Sign still work if you spray it onto a wall using a template? I think you need to investigate that the next time there's a breach... you've got plenty of interns right?

I need to ask me Warhammer colleague...
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