Re: Peculiar results from a simple looking query.

"DA Morgan" <damorgan_at_x.washington.edu> wrote in message news:1109381281.553266_at_yasure...
> GreyBeard wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 26 Feb 2005 00:05:49 +0100, Sybrand Bakker wrote:
>>
>>
>>>On 25 Feb 2005 13:54:30 -0800, ak_tiredofspam_at_yahoo.com wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I would agree. BTW, I was told that Microsoft used to hire people with
>>>>no previous exposure to computers as testers. I was also told that such
>>>>newbies were very very useful, as they were going off the beaten path
>>>>and exposing an enormous amount of problems.
>>>
>>>You must have been told fairy tales. Provided the enormous amount of
>>>problems that still exist in Microsux code they probably have never
>>>existed. You are aware Microsux developers recompile Winblows every
>>>day and the high build numbers are a result of this procedure?
>>
>>
>> From what I've read, Microsoft actually did this (use inexperienced
>> testers). Seems they used the results to dumb down the user interface,
>> not fix code problems.
>
> What you heard is correct. In fact Microsoft engineers, privately over a
> beer, will often volunteer information those guys in marketing and P/R
> would hate to have reported. I was once told by a very reliable source
> that they were instructed to not fix problems as it cost less to deal
> with them after the fact in patches. And yes he still works there.
> --
> Daniel A. Morgan

that is typical in all industries -- i was told that on the ford assembly line when i actually tried to put the fender sealant on '75 mustangs correctly, and i was told that by oracle development when i worked for oracle consulting in the 80's (regarding simple to fix forms 3.0 interface problems -- "do you know how hard it was to do that in the first place!?!?!?")

++ mcs

> University of Washington
> damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
> (replace 'x' with 'u' to respond)
Received on Fri Feb 25 2005 - 22:24:20 CST