Warning! Developer Rant!

OK, this is my rant for the week. I HATE the automatic updates for the Windows XP/Vista operating system.

I tend to leave my computer up for days with several browsers open to pages of information that is usually providing me with assistance on a programming projet or two. Along comes the automatic updates and "poof" there goes my pages, and any open applications I have running.

I have had this happen to me on 3 computers in the last 24 hours. All development computers. I could have sworn I turned off the automatic updates. If I did, and the O/S still rebooted - then I am going to have to disable them all together.

I am personally getting tired of the cyberterrorism that results in operating systems that have to constantly be patched to thwart some new vulnerability. And the result is the constant intrusion of Microsoft and other application development companies (are you hearing me Symantec?), plus the incredible drag that the anti-virus software places on my computers' performance. While I can fault the companies that continue to intrude upon my life, I also realize that the anoninomity (say that three times fast) of the Internet has allowed persons to perpetrate crimes that would surely place them behind bars if translated into non-computer related acts.

Back to the software update issue. Imagine the heating repair man coming into your home in the middle of the night to install the latest patch to your thermostat. In the process, he turns the heat off - and it is the middle of winter. At least he might pat the head of my daughter, Cindy Loo Hoo, give her a glass of water and put her back to bed.

With Microsoft setting this trend, how long before I should expect to see the Maytag repairman showing up at 3 a.m. to work on the dishwasher?

If you are having trouble with your Vista beta 1 (see my note on it here) that you received from the PDC, Microsoft sent this note around in an email regarding the PDC:

Windows Vista Product Keys - some people have experienced difficulties with activating the Windows Vista builds distributed at the PDC, due to an error in the product key that was handed out. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. We are currently replicating the following updated keys to the activation servers; this process should be complete within the next 24 hours. { Note: updated keys are in the email }

I have to give Microsoft credit for rapidly following up. The email was full of good info on product releases and betas, etc.

Far be it from me to complain ;^), but the product key for Vista Beta 1 did not unlock the product!!!

Seems that Microsoft had a lot of problems with "The Goods" that they distributed.

At the PDC, Microsoft talked about a host of new technologies, servers, and systems that will be rolling out in the next couple of months and years.

A reoccurring theme among some of these technologies and platforms is the integration of RSS. I have seen articles and now seeing this information at PDC, I am very much convinced that RSS will be the informational packaging used between business, services, peer-to-peer, etc., etc.