According to CNet:
If there’s one rule you’d think would be drilled into executives’ heads, it would be this: Don’t say anything in e-mail you don’t want seen publicly.
That advice is being driven home for retiring Microsoft exec Jim Allchin. Groklaw has reported that an Iowa lawsuit turned up a 2004 memo of his sent to Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates, in which Allchin states that “Microsoft had lost sight of what customers need and that he himself would buy a Mac, if he didn’t work for Microsoft.“
Heh… Not that it suprises me…
He does, to his credit, spin himself into the ground trying to correct the record…
* This email is nearly 3 years old, and I was being purposefully dramatic in order to drive home a point. The point being that we needed to change and change quickly. We did: We changed dramatically the development process that was being used and we reset the Windows Vista development project in mid-2004, essentially starting over.
* 2-and-¬Ω years later, Windows Vista has turned into a phenomenal product, better than any other OS we’ve ever built and far, far better than any other software available today, in my opinion. It’s going to be available to customers on Jan 30, and I suggest everyone go out and get it as soon as you can. It’s that good.The spirit of being self-critical continues to flourish at Microsoft. Within Microsoft everyone considers it their duty to always put their convictions and our product quality ahead of everything else. That was the intent of my mail to Bill and Steve, and I consider it a great example of how this company can focus and do what’s right for customers.
Either that, or it’s the truth.
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