"Hell runs entirely on a Microsoft platform."
Well despite some really good things that happened this week, I'm at work on yet another Saturday while my IT guy cleans up the mess from a really terrible server upgrade. I'm so glad that I'm not one anymore. It's been six years since I did any kind of real system administration or implementation work. I thought I was starting to miss it a little - Man, was I wrong.
IT Folks and basketball coaches have one thing in common. They're doomed to be either heroes or assholes, and there is no room in between. If things go well, they are heroes. As soon as they don't, they're assholes. I've been both more times than I can count in my life.
We've been focusing all week on the new server, testing software, connectivity with our Internet based software support and marketing schemes, making sure data made it to the right place, etc. So we get that all done and we're ready to throw the switch expecting things to work pretty well.
Then Microsoft decides that since we have a new server, we must therefore have new workstations too, and proudly sets up all new user experiences for every workstation. The workstations respond is if they are brand new six year old workstations that have never heard of outlook, and have no clue that somewhere in there are a thousand documents that were accessible fifteen minutes ago and now it can't find.
Without even the courtesy of asking whether or not we wanted to start over in life, Windows arbitrarily decided that we did, and acted like it was doing us a big favor. It even offered us a tour of Windows XP on startup, and offered to help set up Internet explorer to "help me get the most out of the windows experience". What a crock.
Just as a beautiful sunset or the fragrance after the rain proves that God exists, the existence of Microsoft and Wal-Mart prove beyond my ability to doubt that there is a hell. And a terrible place it must be.
I am firmly convinced that Microsoft should be as liable for the agony it has made people endure as it is rewarded for all of the good things it has accomplished. As things are, it gets paid well enough for its 'accomplishments' to force anybody with a better idea out of business, and does not face any downside to writing bad software that causes problems.
I think a good solution to the dilemma is to let Bill Gates pay off the national debt personally. I'm sure he would be pissed off, and I would be just as concerned and unhappy about that as his damn Windows software is about my having to work another Saturday.
All in favor, please signify by saying "Aye".