Microsoft Developer Explains Why Windows Kernel Development Falls Behind 347
New submitter mha writes "In a response that truly seems to be from a core Microsoft developer, we are told about why Windows kernel development continues to fall further and further behind that of the Linux kernel. He says, 'The cause of the problem is social. There's almost none of the improvement for its own sake, for the sake of glory, that you see in the Linux world. ... There's no formal or informal program of systemic performance improvement. We started caring about security because pre-SP3 Windows XP was an existential threat to the business. Our low performance is not an existential threat to the business. See, component owners are generally openly hostile to outside patches: if you're a dev, accepting an outside patch makes your lead angry (due to the need to maintain this patch and to justify in in shiproom the unplanned design change), makes test angry (because test is on the hook for making sure the change doesn't break anything, and you just made work for them), and PM is angry (due to the schedule implications of code churn). There's just no incentive to accept changes from outside your own team. You can always find a reason to say "no," and you have very little incentive to say "yes."'"
Re:NTFS (Score:0, Funny)
"Oh god, the NTFS code is a purple opium-fueled Victorian horror novel [...]" -- lol!
What? I don't see that anywhere in the summary.
Re: your mom is fat (Score:5, Funny)
Re:NTFS (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, right, this is
Re:I regretted submitting this story immediately. (Score:5, Funny)
I've never thought the people at M$ were stupid, or incapable. Their problem is that the company's run by marketers instead of engineers. I'm with you; this guy was just venting his frustrations.
Gates, Allen, and Ballmer : The Three Marketeers
Re:NTFS (Score:2, Funny)
Woah, woah, slow down there, chief. Are you telling me there's an A to FR? That's crazy talk!
Re:And the retraction (Score:5, Funny)
If I was his manager and knew who it was, I would fire him immediately. Otherwise I would be risking him "venting" again in the future and embarrassing me even further
So, you are the type of manager who runs a shop full of passive / aggressive "brogrammers" and are more concerned with being "embarrassed" than putting out a quality product? I take it that you work at Microsoft? Or would like to? You sound like you would fit right in!