Some of you might have heard the story about the little Dutch boy who saw a trickle of water coming through one of the dykes that protect Holland from the North Sea. Realizing that if he didn't stop it quickly, it would grow and eventually cause the dyke to collapse, the quick-thinking boy stuck his finger in the hole and then called for help, thereby saving Holland.
I believe the boy's situation is not unlike Microsoft  's. Many people believe the company is presently up to its corporate wrist in trying to plug the hole. But even though it is the largest and most powerful software company in the world, Microsoft does not have many friends on which it can rely for help.
The company's troubled situation has become more obvious during the past year or so, as the media has started to reflect the increasing disquiet among Microsoft's users. Even some of the Microsoft-friendly media have been criticizing Microsoft's current strategies. If you read any PC publications, you have probably felt the groundswell of opinion that is starting to turn critical.
Customer Abuse
Initially, corporate IT executives began to realize that Microsoft's new licensing plans would cost more. When home users came to understand the implications of those plans, gasps of dismay could be heard all over the world. And product activation on Windows XP arguably seemed to imply that all Microsoft users were potential thieves who could not be trusted to abide by their licensing agreements.
To rub salt into the wound, Microsoft has used Windows XP and Passport as a way to start controlling how users manage their data and computers. Now, the implication is that we're not only thieves, but also incompetents who need a big brother to watch over us and manage our data.
In spite of Microsoft's extensive PR campaign extolling the advantages of the company's new model, anyone who understands computers can appreciate the potential dangers of Microsoft's strategies.
The Core Issues
To top it all off, the media cheers with glee every time Microsoft announces another security hole or bug fix. So many holes and patches coming so quickly after the embarrassing antitrust case have only added to the scorn. And if that isn't enough, Microsoft has admitted that it has not clearly defined or explained its .NET strategy, causing many of the company's more faithful users to lose some confidence that Microsoft knows where it's going. (continued...)
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