Sysadmin Field Notes

August 7, 2006

Larry's definitely at least partially right; this sort of thing is just the sort of ethical hairball that keeps software development from growing into a real profession. At the same time, activities like this have definite value...

This is my $.02 on Larry Osterman's latest comments on the Apple contractors who had their small app canceled, but kept coming back unpaid to finish it anyway.

Certainly back in 1994 new features in Windows didn't require a threat model analysis at Microsoft...:-)

At any rate, I'm torn on this one. For one, I don't remember if they said it was going to be included in the base install or just on the disc. Just included on the disk in the unsupported section in my mind isn't that big a deal. I've found some pretty weird stuff in those directories over time on original install media from all kinds of companies. Installed on every system as part of the base install, that could be a bit different.

Also, legal or not, good idea or not, this was a pretty cool hack, and a good deal of fun. Things like this give companies (and products) identities, and that in many ways is preferable to soulless processes churning out lifeless bits.

No engineer wants to work on or use a system with no controls that people just slap all sorts of random stuff into. At the same time, it's no fun to work in a tightly-controlled bureaucracy. This is the trouble I think Microsoft finds itself in right now. By necessity because of the market share and sensitive systems that run windows, something like this could never be allowed to happen. But that sterility doesn't lend itself to passionate engineers, or developers. (just my $.02).

I don't think anyone should emulate the things they did, or that they are advocating anyone emulating this behavior. But it's not obvious to me how a team keeps it's culture, folklore, and personality when there's enough process to completely eliminate all possibility of anything like this ever happening.