2005 February 15

I'm thrilled to hear that IE7 will enter beta cycles in the summer of 2005. That said, I'm more than a little put off by this public statement:

Why? Because we listened to customers, analysts, and business partners. We heard a clear message: 'Yes, XP SP2 makes the situation better. We want more, sooner. We want security on top of the compatibility and extensibility IE gives us, and we want it on XP. Microsoft, show us your commitment.'

Uh, what do you think we've been talking about all this time - like, back in the IE5 days?! I can't read minds (or translate marketing-speak), but I'm confident that this announcement may very well have been subtitled something along the lines of “We don't want youse guys to switch to Firefox.” I don't use Firefox - and I didn't plan on switching to Firefox just because it was sitting there with a prettier default icon. We - the customers and analysts, at least - have been pushing for noteworthy updates for years. Witness a comment in their thread by Jeff Powell:

Amazing, Microsoft is finally going to release an update for Internet Explorer after what, 5 years now? (counting the service pack update in XPSP2). I remember the days of the browser wars when we anxiously awaited each new release beceause each time they brought forth compelling new features that actually made using the web more interesting. Microsoft is always really good at that when someone gets out ahead of them and does it better, sooner (ala Netscape). IE was for some time THE best game in town but like far too many MS technologies, as soon as they became king of the browser hill, they got lazy, IE grew long in the tooth and it too a slew of compelling browsers (and web standards) to get MS to finally declare that they would indeed launch another version of IE.

They wouldn't be making this move if Firefox wasn't a “threat.” In that sense, let me say that I hope Firefox continues to be a “threat” - if that's the only way we can light a fire under someone's foot o'er in the IE development realm. Again, I'd encourage the IE team to lift heavily from Maxthon. My ol' buddy Russell Coover weighed in today…

When I started Lockergnome back in 1996, I really didn't know what I wanted it to be. Sure, the original newsletter became a vehicle through which I could keep in touch with new and old friends from around the world - and yes, it quickly became a full-time gig. It took a lot to do on a regular basis, and it certainly took a lot out of me. Before I knew it, however, there were folks out there who understood that my personal resources could only stretch so far. They jumped in to help me figure out which way to turn. For most of its life, the Gnome continued down the path of least resistance - based on a very unique model. When I needed to focus my attention on other areas of the garden, I had to make a few very difficult decisions in 2004 (which everybody witnessed). Many of the changes were accepted by many, rejected outright by others. The larger picture was on my table: I wanted to open up the stage to other voices - not just my own, not just the ones who lived in Iowa at one point.
Enter Brandon Watts.
Brandon is celebrating his first birthday (?) as a Lockergnome Contributor on February 15th, with 600 separate articles to his name. What's more, he's now writing for Microsoft Windows XP: The Official Magazine. Oh, and not only does he write content regularly - he's written his own programming language. Ever hear of Leopard? Brandon gave it spots. But why call special attention to Brandon? He's a little more than half my age - which is quite young. I'm happy to have given him the opportunity to meet folks through Lockergnome - and Gnomedex, which both he and Jared (!) Hudgins sat attentively through. Moreover, I'm certain that Lockergnome is all that much more complete with Brandon aboard. His last name rings true; not only does Brandon illuminate the curious user, but he powers the Lockergnome engine on a daily basis. 365 days later, we're 180 degrees better, Brandon. Thank you for your faith, energy, and spirit.
If you haven't already, please say hello.