Yet again, Microsoft is asking "customers" to design its applications. Applications it hopes will be purchased by "users". By "users" it means "you and me". By customers it means something else.

Microsoft is struggling because users are discovering that its products work increasingly badly, are increasingly unreliable, and increasingly less trustworthy. To us.

Which is what you would expect if they were designed by people who are trying to do things "to" us, instead of "for" us. People such as Microsoft identifies as "customers". Really: anyone who spends more than 100 million on software...

It's like allowing a real-estate salesman to design your house. A car salesman to design your car. Or a church to design your sex life.

Oh wait... They do! And we don't want the result! Funny that...

Conceived in a Pub?

It seems unlikely....

This is laughable.. All the money in the world and not a clue amongst them

Steve, because he's a true genius!

Hey, if they want to find out how to improve their product, they could just Google "improve Microsoft".

Oh. Wait. Nevermind.

Yeah, the one with the embedded chair, thanks.

Someone finally grasped the problem! Halleluja! Trust is the problem, as in 'trusted partner'. You have to ask yourself, why won't people use Microsoft's search? Because we can't TRUST the search results. Because Microsoft always has a hidden agenda, in everything they do.

What can they do to change this situation? I couldn't say really. Looking at it from my own perspective, what could convince me to use Microsoft's search? - nothing -. It's just never going to happen.

Pubcenter? I Like the sound of that. Could Microsoft have actually thought of something useful?

Anyone that has tried to find an article on msdn with the msdn search will tell you that.

I like the idea of PubCenter, although I like to call it a Bar . Two pints please landlord!

Bwahahaha! They couldn't even get the *name* right!

Man, I wish it was Friday...

Sorry but Microsoft can go play with themself. In the last two years their customer service has went from poor to pathetic. They must be the only organisation who listens to the customer then actively ignores them.

Their licensing has went from unreasonable to extortion.

Their kneecap of unlicensed system affecting licensed systems by accident is the final straw.

They didn't listen over Vista (now rebranded for the dumb asses out there) - why change their corporate policy now!!

Must be losing customer

Yours sincerely,

New Linux User

... then the first rule is ...

NO FLASH

NO animations

No Silverlight

No Blinking

No Annoyances.

Using any of the above almost guarantees that your users will adblock them. If you want people to see your adverts, its absolutely essential to stick to STATIC content that won't annoy your readers.

Notice how evil multinationals refer to you as a customer when they want you to do their work for them for free but consumers when they are pushing a new license?

What is an elephant? A horse designed by committee

What does Friday have to do with anything?

Beer now please, preferably an IPA or belgian wheat. :D

Tux, because he drinks like a fish, too.