The Crabby Office Lady represented a sea change for me. Being the "ineffectual, middle-management suckup" that I was, when I saw and read the first column(s), I was initially alarmed that we had published something with such an unprofessional and sassy tone, so I asked Shelley Benson (who ran the content team) about it. She immediately presented live data and feedback from customers who had read Crabby's column and who were overwhelmingly positive toward it--and toward Microsoft as well. Comments such as "at last, Microsoft puts on its human face" and the like were common. And the satisfaction ratings were unambiguous. Crabby was beloved! So I grew a spine and backed off. Through the years, this became one of my canonical anecdotes for the power of direct customer feedback. And a note on Steven as a manager: throughout this time, I do not recall any drama happening between him and HR over Crabby. That's because he insulated his teams from most of the BS that happens in large orgs. My life at work always seemed so much simpler than my peers in other divisions. I used to wonder what they were doing wrong, when really it was all about what Steven was doing right. Respect!
[[ BillG expressed frustration at “another release of Office that relies on Windows to make it exciting,” which honestly didn’t make much sense and bordered on insulting. ]]
With respect to Walt making a big deal out of Smart Tages in IE, i.e. "In effect, Microsoft will be able, through the browser, to re-edit anybody’s site, without the owner’s knowledge or permission", I disagreed and emailed him at the time explaining that he had just weeks before promoted software that blocked ads, modifying the site owner's intent.
His answer was, "I can see the inconsistency, but I think my idea of what is good for the user is correct in both these cases".
This, of course, did not answer his stated concern for site owners, who, like the WSJ, present ads as part of their revenue structure. Oh well.
Lots of familiar names and features in this installment. Template Gallery was such a novel idea, so was the Assistance Center then. Great to see JeffO front and center. Thank you.
The Crabby Office Lady represented a sea change for me. Being the "ineffectual, middle-management suckup" that I was, when I saw and read the first column(s), I was initially alarmed that we had published something with such an unprofessional and sassy tone, so I asked Shelley Benson (who ran the content team) about it. She immediately presented live data and feedback from customers who had read Crabby's column and who were overwhelmingly positive toward it--and toward Microsoft as well. Comments such as "at last, Microsoft puts on its human face" and the like were common. And the satisfaction ratings were unambiguous. Crabby was beloved! So I grew a spine and backed off. Through the years, this became one of my canonical anecdotes for the power of direct customer feedback. And a note on Steven as a manager: throughout this time, I do not recall any drama happening between him and HR over Crabby. That's because he insulated his teams from most of the BS that happens in large orgs. My life at work always seemed so much simpler than my peers in other divisions. I used to wonder what they were doing wrong, when really it was all about what Steven was doing right. Respect!
[[ BillG expressed frustration at “another release of Office that relies on Windows to make it exciting,” which honestly didn’t make much sense and bordered on insulting. ]]
Oh, I think it was well across the border.
That launch video recalls the cringe I winced watching that overly aggressive high-five between you and SteveB. It still looks painful. 😟
With respect to Walt making a big deal out of Smart Tages in IE, i.e. "In effect, Microsoft will be able, through the browser, to re-edit anybody’s site, without the owner’s knowledge or permission", I disagreed and emailed him at the time explaining that he had just weeks before promoted software that blocked ads, modifying the site owner's intent.
His answer was, "I can see the inconsistency, but I think my idea of what is good for the user is correct in both these cases".
This, of course, did not answer his stated concern for site owners, who, like the WSJ, present ads as part of their revenue structure. Oh well.
Lots of familiar names and features in this installment. Template Gallery was such a novel idea, so was the Assistance Center then. Great to see JeffO front and center. Thank you.