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IP: Windows 2000 source code : [risks] Risks Digest 21.31
From: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Sun, 01 Apr 2001 16:20:26 -0400
Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 17:20:38 -0800 From: Mark Thorson <mmm () winery garlic com> Subject: Windows 2000 source code Microsoft Corp.'s decision last week to give its 1,000 top U.S. enterprise customers access to the Windows 2000 source code has been sharply criticized by smaller customers. [Source: eWeek (formerly PCWeek), "Windows Source Code Deal: Not For All", March 12, 2001, page 20] ... even more concern was raised by its implementation language, Microsoft Basic. ``Most of our programmers haven't used Basic since college,'' said an IT manager at a Fortune 500 insurance company, ``most OS guys don't consider it [Basic] to be a serious implementation language.'' Mike Conelrad, a senior programmer at an enterprise solution provider based in Kentucky, said he is disappointed that Microsoft has only chosen to release 'desimonyzed' source code. ``The original variable names have been replaced with code names like A002134,'' according to Conelrad. ``That tells me absolutely nothing about the variable. But with a name like wParam, at least I know that the variable is word length.'' ``Some of the variable names were unacceptable,'' said Microsoft spokesperson Lirpa Loof. ``They used trademarks improperly and had other defects which were simply not acceptable in any Microsoft product.'' Sources close to the Windows 2000 development team indicate that the defects include references to Microsoft founder Bill Gates and other officers of the Redmond-based company.
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- IP: Windows 2000 source code : [risks] Risks Digest 21.31 David Farber (Apr 01)