Is it live or is it Memorex? Part 2
As mentioned in Item #4 yesterday, I tried to address to some degree the doubts held by an FS user who posts at Avsim under the name "mgh."
Mgh is, as I've said before, quite properly sceptical of the FSinsider site in particular and some of the ACES team efforts in general. I believe that he probably represents a portion of our customer base, which is why I've gone to some detail to try and address some of his stated concerns. My intent here is not to single out mgh, but to try and answer his questions, and hope that by proxy I am able to answer others at the same time.
Part of the intention of the new Microsoft wide blogging effort is to connect with customers using an authentic and personal voice. I personally (not speaking for the corporation) hope that'll engender more trust and respect for MSFT amongst our customers, and vice versa, more trust and respect FOR our customers FROM Microsoft. I don't expect that trust to be handed out just 'cause we say it ought to be so. I fully understand that if there's any change to be made it has to be earned, and that that only comes with repeatability over time. I understand that not everyone will like us or like what we do, but hopefully people'll know that there are a good number of us "behind the walls" so to speak, who do in fact care about our customers.
I think you'd be surprised to realize that that number is the majority, and the rule rather than the exception.
I think that I read mgh clearly in a follow up post in the aforementioned thread that he believes the FSInsider site is *probably* authentically from Microsoft, or at least the ACES team, but that it's certainly not up to MSFT snuff. All I can say to that mgh, is that your criticism is taken to heart, and we'll continue to try and improve.
There's another sentiment given in that post which I think bears mentioning. Mike Gilbert has covered this before, but it needs to be said that we are altogether too human here at MSFT, and we do make mistakes. Sometimes events out of your control conspire to make you look like right dunderheads, sometimes it's because we just screwed up to begin with.
We'll just need to be better in the future.
One final quote, and then I'm prety much done.
"None of this has enhanced Microsoft's or the MSFT's image. Maybe MSFT should stick to its day job of developing FS and leave websites and challenges to others, especially when "finding the *time* to address them is another issue"?"
Well, the website is partially handled by another internal MSFT team, and partially by ACES. The "time" comment comes directly from me, as I am trying to get closure and/or resolution on some of the issues mgh raised. I'm doing that in addition to my regular duties, which keep me quite busy, because I said that I would in my blog. :)
