John D. Mitchell's Blog

Anatomy of Insanity

CNet reports that Microsoft is offering $5 (yes, 5) for data loss due to it's new AntiSpyware software that's in beta testing. Gee, thanks. That will buy me a cup of coffee so I can calm down after you destroy my data. Yeah, sure.

This is another case of how Microsoft (and so many other organizations) just doesn't understand (or care) how enormous an impact their buggy software has on users. This goes part in parcel with the wonderful example in my old blog entry Anatomy of Insanity? Of course, they will claim that this offer is somehow helpful to the customers but, I must say, it's just plain insulting. Why not try something revolutionary like actually writing high-quality software?

Comments

• That isn't actually the way it should be read. As has been pointed out on a number of sites taking this exact view, the EULA is the same as other Microsoft EULAs which states that the financial responsibility of Microsoft shall be limited to the cost of the value of the software or $5 WHICHEVER IS HIGHER. Since the Antispyware BETA is free, the financial obligation sits at the "higher than zero" value of $5.

  Posted by: ianl on February 26, 2005 at 02:29 PM

• > That isn't actually the way it should be read

  Naturally it should be read in the most positive of lights, point is that if a company ships software that is doing things that could very easilly destroy your data, then I don't really get the impression of quality if the company will only back its code-quality with a $5 compensation if anything goes horribly wrong.

  The $5 seems to be a choice based on expecting many, many claims. That does little to comfort me.

  anyway; I don't run Windows anyway, so I just smile from the sidelines.

  Posted by: zander on February 28, 2005 at 04:02 AM

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