Paul Maher's Blog

As was mentioned at the launch on Thursday, developers suffer from information overload and the problem with the new site is that it seems to be primarily based around way too many links which very few working developers would have the time to follow through. More focus is needed, and it goes without saying that some of the links are not just irrelevant(because they are US-specific) but out of date (follow the top two "Hands on Security" links to be taken to dead-end pages that advise that this program was withdrawn on August 31st - a date several months before this site was even launched).

My question to you (and sorry this is rather harsh!): if those behind this initiative, with a specific passion around this area, couldn't be bothered to check the content they're linking to, why should the developers it's aimed at be any different?

If you want to convert developers over to taking security seriously I think you need more focus than the site currently has eg emphasise the priorities, the best books to get started and the best links to get started with (the portal can still be there, it just needs to be pruned a little to remove the obsolete material).

"The Highway code" booklet mentioned at the launch is certainly something along the right lines and needs to be as "in your face" as possible to someone coming along to the site who may take one look at the home page and then move on to his or her next pressing piece of work.

Personally I think priorities for the next refresh should be "The Highway code" booklet and RSS feeds for updated content and personally I wouldn't have launched the initiative without those two features being in place.

Microsoft seem to launch a new initiative every couple of days and the pattern is almost invariabley the same: launch the site with a lot of brou-ha (blog entries and launch event) and then let it stagnate until someone else comes along with another "pet project" initiative and web site aimed at exactly the same audience before being moved on to something else within Microsoft where the old initiative has no bearing on career progression (Is that TOO cynical? It's certainly the way things appear to this curmudgeonly outsider!)

Examples of this sort of marketing, which invariably lead to disillusionment and bad feeling where none had existed before, simply because of the complete lack of any kind of follow-through, are the "gotdotnet" site, the endless different beta or get connected sites, the "improved productivity" Microsoft MAX launch application etc etc etc.

Fingers crossed that this site isn't going to become one of those!

It's good to see that Microsoft are trying to do something in this area and the Flash animation is a fun intro to the site, albeit one that sets expectations that I didn't think were really followed through on in the rest of the site.

Put the "skip intro" link at the top - not the bottom! (It is off the bottom of the screen on my PC. I have to scroll down to it.)