3 ms·

Open sourcing the C# compiler represents a fair amount of effort (code cleansing, IP review, license selection/compliance checking, etc) -- likely more work tha

Open sourcing the C# compiler represents a fair amount of effort (code cleansing, IP review, license selection/compliance checking, etc) -- likely more work than could be completed in Nadella's short tenure. Therefore, it is likely that the compiler had been prepared, and his actions represent the long standing desires of the technical staff that were ignored/denied by Ballmer. Ditto goes for the iPad version of Office. As such, I wouldn't say these moves represent Nadella's changing the company, as much as him ending Ballmer's repression.

Revex 13y ago
|likely more work than could be completed in Nadella's short tenure. You are correct. During the build conference there were several mentions of Project Rosyln being a 3-4 year old endeavor.
skyebook 13y ago
I'd find this to be the most likely scenario, have met lots of Microsoft employees and a surprising number of them were on board with open source + acknowledging mistakes. I'd love to think that it wasn't his performance that drove Ballmer out so much as his mismatch for the actual corporate culture of those beneath him.
sghill 13y ago
It does sound like they were debating this for quite a while. Eric Lippert used to work on the C# compiler and published a blog post[1] immediately after the announcement: Since I always knew that open sourcing was a possibility I tried to write my portions of it as cleanly and clearly as possible; hopefully I succeeded. [1]: http://ericlippert.com/2014/04/03/c-and-vb-are-open-sourced/ http://ericlippert.com/2014/04/03/c-and-vb-are-open-sourced/
petilon 13y ago
Keep in mind that Satya was running the Tools Division that makes the C# compiler, before he became CEO. So if the preparation you speak of had been happening, it was still happening under Satya.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
Hominem 13y ago
My suspicion is that Ballmer's departure was choreographed to coincide with seemingly "sudden" 360 to make it seem like some sort of internal revolution instead of a carefully planned business strategy. I certainly appreciate it. As a career c# developer it has given me some sort of new cred around the office like I was on the inside track on something cool instead of a guy who was hooked on some lame corporate language.
- nirnira 13y ago
  Right. Unlikely that anything was done carelessly, and in the end, Ballmer had to go, even if he was a great CEO - only a new, hip CEO could get people's attention and project a new image. And they'd been building up to that moment (when they could withstand the world's attention for a while) - the new logo, the product and web visual unification, etc etc. Next comes the real excitement.
- sremani 13y ago
  I think most of the people who find Microsoft as a sinister mega-corporation forget the majority of work force in Microsoft are developers and share the "culture" with developer community in general. I read Scott Hanselman blogging that Microsoft is too damn unorganized to come with a master evil plan. I think the Nixonian conspiracy lot of Microsoft bashers use to portray is mostly their imagination.
  - Hominem 13y ago
    I don't think it is sinister, or a conspiracy, just the kind of coordinated rebranding and messaging modern corporations do all the time. I don't think it takes a PR genius to say "why don't we wait until after Ballmer leaves before we roll out our new initiatives, while the new CEO is still in his honeymoon stage". Microsoft 2.0, finally emerging, instead of poor old Ballmer, always late to the party with hamfisted plans.

Revex 13y ago

|likely more work than could be completed in Nadella's short tenure. You are correct. During the build conference there were several mentions of Project Rosyln being a 3-4 year old endeavor.

skyebook 13y ago

I'd find this to be the most likely scenario, have met lots of Microsoft employees and a surprising number of them were on board with open source + acknowledging mistakes. I'd love to think that it wasn't his performance that drove Ballmer out so much as his mismatch for the actual corporate culture of those beneath him.

sghill 13y ago

It does sound like they were debating this for quite a while. Eric Lippert used to work on the C# compiler and published a blog post[1] immediately after the announcement: Since I always knew that open sourcing was a possibility I tried to write my portions of it as cleanly and clearly as possible; hopefully I succeeded. [1]: http://ericlippert.com/2014/04/03/c-and-vb-are-open-sourced/ http://ericlippert.com/2014/04/03/c-and-vb-are-open-sourced/

petilon 13y ago

Keep in mind that Satya was running the Tools Division that makes the C# compiler, before he became CEO. So if the preparation you speak of had been happening, it was still happening under Satya.

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

Hominem 13y ago

My suspicion is that Ballmer's departure was choreographed to coincide with seemingly "sudden" 360 to make it seem like some sort of internal revolution instead of a carefully planned business strategy. I certainly appreciate it. As a career c# developer it has given me some sort of new cred around the office like I was on the inside track on something cool instead of a guy who was hooked on some lame corporate language.

nirnira 13y ago
Right. Unlikely that anything was done carelessly, and in the end, Ballmer had to go, even if he was a great CEO - only a new, hip CEO could get people's attention and project a new image. And they'd been building up to that moment (when they could withstand the world's attention for a while) - the new logo, the product and web visual unification, etc etc. Next comes the real excitement.
sremani 13y ago
I think most of the people who find Microsoft as a sinister mega-corporation forget the majority of work force in Microsoft are developers and share the "culture" with developer community in general. I read Scott Hanselman blogging that Microsoft is too damn unorganized to come with a master evil plan. I think the Nixonian conspiracy lot of Microsoft bashers use to portray is mostly their imagination.
- Hominem 13y ago
  I don't think it is sinister, or a conspiracy, just the kind of coordinated rebranding and messaging modern corporations do all the time. I don't think it takes a PR genius to say "why don't we wait until after Ballmer leaves before we roll out our new initiatives, while the new CEO is still in his honeymoon stage". Microsoft 2.0, finally emerging, instead of poor old Ballmer, always late to the party with hamfisted plans.