Scoble rains on Microsoft parade
Robert Scoble, who used to , has taken on his former employer in a new posting, saying the company's "Internet execution sucks (on whole). Its search sucks. Its advertising sucks ."
Scoble was reacting to a blog posting from a Microsoft product manager claiming that "Windows Live isn't dead" and that "Microsoft is going to win!" He also took swipes at CEO Steve Ballmer, who, at a recent speech at Stanford, called Google's growth plans "insane".
The pep talks for Microsoft's volunteer community leaders known as "most valuable professionals" are great, Scoble said, but they don't do anything to solve inherent problems with the company's Internet and search strategy.
"The MVPs might be easy to talk into doing some cheerleading but the rest of us are over that now. We're looking for signs of leadership and so far we don't see it," Scoble wrote.
Bloggers, always eager to bash Microsoft, chimed in.
Blog community response:
"You always have to pay attention to Microsoft, because of their size, their influence, and the fact that they do have lots of good people working there. But that continual projection, about great mysteries to be revealed in the future... it only works if you have a history of flawless execution."
--JD on EP
"I think that cuts to the core what I was feeling. Over the past 5 years, Microsoft has done more talking about software than delivering said software. Visual Studio and Vista and easy examples, but I think in other product areas too. Perhaps too many of their best developers get 'promoted' to management, ending up in more talking and less coding."
--Softies on Rails
"Perhaps the big difference between Google and Microsoft is that the Google culture inspires what Dweck calls a 'Growth Mindset', which the MS culture inspires the 'fixed mindset'. Supporting this model is the idea that where MS seems to ignore criticism Google often embraces it. Also, Google remains open to change - flexible - while Microsoft seems to resist change or even force square pegs into round holes with bloated or 'bad fit' applications. For Google, the modifications to the world view are reflected in Google products. This leads to the simpler, more friendly technologies Google is known for. Meanwhile the MS products rely more on their virtual OS monopoly, big businesses reluctance to change, and their sheer size which allows them to move the market."
--Joe Duck