Is it wrong to want to kiss Joel Spolsky?
I just wanna grab Joel Spolsky's face with both hands, yank him close, and give him a full-on Bugs Bunny Mmwm-Mmwm-Mmwm-Mmmmwha! kiss right on the lips:
Joel: I think we're seeing a shift in power, a resurgence of the old guard. With the growth that Microsoft's had in the past decade, the culture had changed. It became the culture of the latest and greatest and re-invent everything.
If I were Bill (Gates), I think I'd fire about three quarters of the people working on that (the presentation system). Not because they are incompetent. But because there are too many people creating too many technologies.
(Bold mine; from A Q&A With Joel on (Microsoft) Software)
High-Five!
7 comments:
Not to start any personal attacks here, but I find most of Joel's comments to be of little value; The fact that he was working for MCS deploying Excel-based solutions tells me that he wasn't even aware of other product lines in the company (imagine charging MS consulting rate for someone who works with Excel - how do you justify it?)
Only a very small (relatively) number of people is fully aware of complete picture in regards to all MS products. Yes, there is certainly a lot of overlap, but it's something to be dealt with internally through better collaboration - not through firing!
For more details, I'd suggest to look at recent financial statement - with server products approaching revenues of Office and MSN rapidly becoming the forerunner of all the "coolest" there is out there.
Really, how much weight do we all want to put on comments of someone working on web-based VSS (how many of those are out there anyway), someone who only spent 3+ yrs. with the company (barely enough to learn his way around the campus let alone know in depth about strategies of the company) 10 years ago of which several were spent in MCS (client site)?
Like I said, some things certainly make sense, but to call his thoughts a "must-read" by all MS employees? Call me arrogant, but I've seen more sense in TheRegister articles sometimes.
Anonymous MCS consultant
How are you gauging the value of a solution based on Excel?
I don't know anything about the work he was doing, but I know a lot about the value of solutions based in Excel, and a lot of other Microsoft products.
Sometimes, a consultant has to choose the best tools that are available for the solution. I've seen some pretty lousy Excel-based solutions, but the last one I saw seemed to be the choice of the person writing the check.
That happens a lot, I'm sure. The consulting rate should reflect the ability of the consulting team to find the appropriate solution for the client.
I guess what I'm trying to ask is, what standards do you use to categorically eliminate Excel as the basis for a solution?
How do you even know that Excel is not adequate for a particular solution if you don't even know the details of the project?
--- Kerry Burgess
Kenny!!! Can you not read? The point wasn't that JoS was writing Excel solutions the point was that Joel was writing Excel solutions 10 years ago and only spent 3 years with the company.
I agree with the first comment. Why do so many people think Joel is an expert on Microsoft???? I worked for MS in the early 90's and I am back now. Does that make me an expert on MS strategy? No! I don't claim to have the inside track on MS because I was gone for 8 years. Now I am getting back on track with my current job.
Personally I think Joel is an idiot and does not have a clue on what MS is doing?
You know, what's with the implication that someone who hasn't worked at Microsoft very long can't have good ideas? Since when does time at Microsoft == value of one's ideas about software development?
I don't really care how long Joel worked at Microsoft and which group(s) he worked in. He's got some good ideas about software development, and he puts them into written form effectively and eloquently. I don't agree with him all the time, but he's always worth reading. He doesn't call the site "Joel on Microsoft." He's writing about software in general, but you can't talk about software much without talking about Microsoft a little.
vince
Who's Kenny?
You bastard! You killed him!
Hey - can you delete the 9:09am comment on http://minimsft.blogspot.com/2004/12/smarciagoogleg.html
-Redmond Original Poster
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