Go ahead. We are ready. We want to hear from you. As we mentioned in a previous blog post, starting with the MSDN update in May, we have added a new feedback link to the bottom of our online WDK pages. When you click this new link the e-mail you send is directed to the writer of the topic. Sure, we might not be able to get to it right away, not all of us are awake at 3:00 am in the morning, but we will get your message.

Along with the new feedback link is a system that we use to guarantee your privacy. When you send e-mail about a topic, a special feedback bug is created. We only keep your e-mail for a short time. When we have read and responded to your e-mail or the issue is resolved (within 90 days), your e-mail and all personal identifying information is automatically removed from the database. You are free and clear, and you won’t end up on some mailing list.

Where is that feedback link again? How does it work?

The link is in the footer at the bottom of the page. Here is a screenshot of the DriverEntry topic on MSDN. Notice the circled Send feedback on this topic link at the bottom of the page.

Also make note of the “Built on” date. This is your guarantee of freshness. We are now able to do more frequent updates to our MSDN documentation (about once a month). So when you report errors or have suggestion for improvements there is a good chance that we will be able to respond to your feedback and update topics in a relatively short time. If you don’t like what you see, send us some feedback. If you like what you see, that’s even better. Send us your feedback and let us know and we will try to do more of the same.

Stars upon thars

For our online MSDN documentation, the new Send feedback on this topic link is a supplement to the existing MSDN page rating. You can rate a page by clicking the Click to Rate and Give Feedback link at the topic of the page. Unlike the Sneetches in the Dr. Seuss story, the stars ultimately do matter to us. They make a difference. When you rate the page it helps us know what is working and what is not. The star ratings help us find those topics that are causing you the most headaches.  And they also help us find topics that are making your tasks a little easier. Using the star ratings and the statistics on the volume of traffic the topics receive on MSDN, we can locate the bottlenecks and traffic jams. This gives us a better map of where we need to apply our efforts.

Confused? What’s up with the multiple feedback links?

Options. That’s all. We are just giving you options. There are multiple ways you can send ups feedback and this is a good thing. If you primarily work with our offline documentation, available when you download the WDK Kit or download the WDK Documentation, you can send us feedback from the Send feedback on this topic link at the footer of every topic. With the release of the WDK kit for Windows 7, our offline documentation will be using the same feedback mechanism we rolled out on MSDN. Use these links when you want to send e-mail with your comments, corrections, or suggestions. If you are reading a WDK topic on MSDN and feel particularly moved (positively or negatively), click the Click to Rate and Give Feedback link. It’s quick, anonymous and relatively painless. Unlike political elections, with page ratings you can vote early and vote often. Let us know how we are doing.

We look forward to hearing from you.