Rudi Larno's WebLog : Work @ Microsoft

The Developer & IT Pro Days 2005 have come to an end.

Rudi Larno — Thu, 03 Feb 2005 08:07:00 GMT

It was interesting to see the 'abstract' work I had been doing come together and result in people (lots of people actually) enjoying the content of the sessions. Despite the unfortunate audio problems that come with organizing such an event in an expo hall, all the speakers did their best to present as best as they could. It comes with the territory, I guess. Having Bill Gates means you need a really big hall to fit 1500 people, and it has to be in Brussels. That pretty much leaves the Brussels Expo (aka Heysel) as the only option.

I must really mention Kimberly Tripp here, coz meeting her was just an amazing experience. I did not get the chance to go to TechEd and hear her talk there. She did get the highest speaker scores, and I'm pretty sure she will get the highest scores here in Belgium too. Feedback from her keynote session was just all good. She really rocked the audience. Although in Belgium that sort of thing is really hard to tell. The belgian audience is well, how to put it, somewhat timid? silent? not all that responsive? That is one of the hardest things when presenting here, getting a feel of the audience. Usually its only when the actual evaluations start comming in, that you know what people are really thinking.

Leaving Microsoft

Rudi Larno — Tue, 01 Feb 2005 02:00:00 GMT

I'm sure many of you have already heard, but just to make it official.

Yes, I'm leaving Microsoft.

This will be the last post that I'll write while being employed by Microsoft Belux. It's good to be able to end my career here with the Developer & IT Pro Days 2005. The team, especially Tom, Ann and Jessie have and are still doing an amazing job to make sure it will be the best 'DevDays' ever. It is quite some work to get everything together, but with Gerd keeping a close eye on the project, we all got there! I was responsible to set the agenda, the content and get the speakers, so I do feel a bit nervous. And we have a record amount of people subscribed for the event, (so get there early!). I'm sure Bill Gates visiting has much to do with that. So I hope you will enjoy the event, and have a splendid 2 days of technical education and community building.

Windows XP SP2 (Dutch)

Rudi Larno — Wed, 08 Sep 2004 17:39:00 GMT

Ik heb in mijn referrals gemerkt dat ik nogal hoog scoor op google als mensen zoeken op Windows xp sp2 en dutch (ofte Nederlands).

Windows XP SP2 Dutch is beschikbaar voor download.

Let wel, deze download is groot (~260 MB) en is niet de aangewezen manier als je een enkele pc wil updaten. Deze download is voor systeem administrators die een heel park van Windows XP machines willen upgraden.

De beste manier om XP Service Pack 2 op te halen wanneer dit beschikbaar is, is met de functie Automatische updates in Windows XP. Bezoek de site Protect Your PC om Automatische updates in te schakelen via de volgende drie handmatige stappen en u krijgt SP2 automatisch.

Meer informatie in het nederlands over Windows XP SP2

update: aangezien ik zelf geen nederlandstalige Windows XP heb, kan ik niet nagaan of alles vlekkeloos verloopt. Als alles goed gaat, laat dan even wat commentaar achter. Indien je problemen zou hebben, probeer eerst eens de Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) Support Center.

Indien je nog steeds problemen zou hebben, contacteer onze support:

Ondersteuning voor Windows XP SP2
Neem telefonisch contact met ons op wanneer u ondersteuning nodig heeft na installatie van Microsoft Windows XP SP2.
Let op: dit telefoonnummer kan alléén worden gebruikt voor Windows XP SP2 gerelateerde kwesties.

En laat me dan weten dat jij ook SP2 hebt.

The Innovation Files - win a visit to MS Research (dutch)

Rudi Larno — Thu, 02 Sep 2004 01:03:00 GMT

See the stuff Microsoft Research is building right now, all the stuff I wrote about in my previous post: Innovation inspired by your Potential

The local (Belgian, dutch) recruitement newspaper Vacature.com is running a series of articles (dutch) about innovation.

Update:
Ok, I just went over to channel9 for my daily piece of tech-soap tv. And I just have to add this:

Stewart Tansley - First look at MSR's "touch light" #

Remember the movie with Tom Cruise: Minority Report, I always thought that the way he operated the computer there was sooo unreal? Way to Hollywood, who would ever be standing in front of a screen waving their arms around whole day (as a developer: how would that impact the daily intake of Cola and Pizza?). But it seems that we could be doing this in reality in future. Whoow, looks way cool dude!

So is this innovation? Did the researcher see the movie and then came up with the technology? Maybe. But even if he did, I'm sure what you saw in the movie was added by CG (Computer Graphics) in post-production. I'm sure Tom Cruise could well have been directing an orchestra instead of operating that 'device'. It still is the researcher that has put together the technology to make this work and was creative and innovative. So thats innovation right?
What do you think?

Comments on XP SP2

Rudi Larno — Fri, 20 Aug 2004 18:11:00 GMT

Here are my reflections on the comments posted to Take a service stop and clean your windows

dragon_x,
I somehow do not understand your point. If you have done soo much work to make your system better and more secure, you must know that there are many things you cannot fix yourself, because it is in the code. You can set up your own perimeter around your machine(s), set permissions to a very strict level, but the fixes in the code are a good thing. The Firewall and popup blocker can be turned off if you have your own solutions, and that is just fine. But you should not underestimate the rest of the work that has been done in XP SP2.

And you know Windows XP was not designed as a secure system, Service Pack 2 actually fixes that.

And a Mac seems a pretty good contender these days. I watched Steve Jobs keynote too, and I'm impressed. Good marketing, good stuff, but not for me, to expensive, it means a complete re-purchase of all my hard/software, it means I only have to option of buying what is available in 1 store, the Mac Center. The prices are fixed, the choice is limited. I would also need to retrain myself, all new usage skills, new developer tools, and remember http://www.macsecurity.org/; no OS is without flaws.

Mr Tyrone Enright,
I leave your post as an example of how people get too emotional about the choice of an OS. And ofcourse we are not programmers, we have our monkeys for that, no ;-) If you want to get to know some of them, go visit http://channel9.msdn.com You might notice that it was not 'Mr Gates' that wrote the OS, but real people that work hard too.

I can only comment on the fact that the listed applications that seem to have problems, do often work in whole after proper configuration of your security settings. For many of these apps, what this really means is that these apps expose your PC to the outside and potetionally pose a future security risk.
And if you really want to be tabloid about XP SP2, well, i'm sure you could list a 10000 apps, or even more. Just dig back in time...

And for those apps that really break, I still say that it is the vendor that needs to provide the fix, read on...

David,
I fully completely agree with you, but...

PCs are being used by just about everyone, and how many people do you know that read the instruction manual of *any* electronic device (TV, Video, DVD player, Microwave, etc..)
Ignorance is the reality of life, and that is exactly the reason why XP SP2 needs to be tough, even if that means breaking some applications. Apart from my dad and an uncle, there is no-one in my family that has the tech-spirit of RTFM. To my other family members, things work, or they don't. (and they always refer to all of their devices as 'things') And if things do not work, its the thing-vendor that will need to fix it. Either by just telling them, its in the documentation on page x, or just by explaining them the instructions (often when the documentation has been thrown out together with the packaging). Or by actually coming into your home and fix the 'thing'.
This is where in my opinion, we tech-folk have made the BIG mistake. We expect people to have the same attitude as we have, and have coded software for it that way. But as you point out, Joe Blow computer user, clicks first and thinks (or reflects upon the damage) later. This is where we as software designers need to think how we can either 1) get Joe Blow to think before acting, by providing clear information/instructions up front or 2) prevent and attempt to protect Joe Blow from doing possible dangerous actions without thinking. It is a big mindset change in developing software. For me this is the essence of the TWC initiative. Getting software developers/architects to change their mindset.

So at this point in time Microsoft needed to bite the bullet and make XP as secure as they possibly can, today. Even if that means breaking some applications. Those will get fixed again, do not worry! If not, I would not trust that vendor for long anymore. And more fixes from Microsoft will come, as over time, other possible means of exploiting software will arise, ways that at this point in time we cannot foresee.

update:

Andrew,
Anyone who has bothered to set up a firewall, block ports, etc. I consider them to be tech-heads. I bet you do not open unsollicited e-mails, never open attachements from people you do not know, do not 'click Yes' just to get rid of those annoying ActiveX popups, etc. You know how a computer works, you are not the one at risk. At home I myself have a wireless router with build-in firewall and I had Norton Internet security running for a few years now. I have rebuilt one of my machines (finding I could no longer install Norton) and have been running with the Internet Connection Firewall on, and a simple av program. Me too, I have NEVER been infected by any sort of virus, spyware, trojan, whatever. But when I monitor the external ports of my wireless router, I notice plenty of hacking attempts going on, its is really amazing. And most of these come from PCs of users that are not tech-heads. These PCs have been infected by some trojans, acting as dummy for all sorts of attacks. These people need to be made aware XP SP2 is the best thing for them since sliced bread. Why? So we as tech-heads can open up the ports we want without being port-scanned all over the place. So we regain the freedom to do interesting things without having to fear a massive ddos.

SmartPhones

Rudi Larno — Fri, 20 Aug 2004 00:11:00 GMT

He's got one, I know he wants one, and soon I hope to get one myself, but really I think I'll wait for this one: World's smallest smartphone: SPV - C500; or Qtek 8010 as it will be known here.

Oficially available in the UK here, so probably next year here in Belgium

I cannot begin to tell you how bad the belgian mobile market is organized, mainly due to restrictions of selling sim-locked phones by law. A Qtek or Motorola costs about €450 here, just the phone. But you can use it with any mobile operator, and you get to keep your number if you switch mobile operators (as if that happens so often?).

The Exploits are running wild - Sasser

Rudi Larno — Mon, 03 May 2004 18:31:00 GMT

If you have not installed the latest updates for Windows XP yet, you just might be too late. If nothing else, switch on the Internet Connection Firewall asap if you can.

For more information refer to the Security Report on the Microsoft site.

The new virus on the block is called Sasser (W32.Sasser.Worm). It's already running wild; I just read some reports about it taking Autralian Railways down.

So personally, I'm a happy man, I get to do my Windows XP SP2 talk tomorrow on the Security Summit, and can you have a better point to explain why Microsoft is doing SP2 than a virus running wild as I speak? It is not enough for Microsoft to be pushing out updates, if people will not update their machines, or if there is no basic protection. Sasser for example will have no effect if you have enabled the Internet Connection Firewall. And yes, there are reasons why not to have it turned on the way it is at the moment. That is why SP2 is such an important piece of security equipment. It will fix a lot of these problems.

Microsoft flags the European Union

Rudi Larno — Tue, 27 Apr 2004 20:37:00 GMT

In order to celebrate the upcoming expansion of the European Union on May 1st 2004, Microsoft has released a 3D Screensaver showing the flags, get it here

Windows Update - nothing to report

Rudi Larno — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 23:51:00 GMT

Ok, this is my own simplistic view but still...

As a habit, I tend to go up to the Windows Update site and check for any new goodies (usually security patches, which are good). But lately it is a very disappointing process. You go there, and there is absolutely nothing, you know nothing really interesting. I mean, I even installed the "Update for Windows XP Shop for Music Online Link ", which I do not really need since I still buy my music on CD's. And that is really the last item on there.

But it dawned on me that in fact this is an interesting evolution. According to the history, the last update I downloaded was the one of Feb 11 2004. Hey that's longer than a month ago. Are we getting there? I mean I know there is a new process that new patches are released on a monthly schedule and I'm counting the days till April 13th 2004. Will there be a patch for Windows XP. I really don't know, I'm sure I could find out, but I am getting more curious. In general I just have this feeling we somehow passed a critical point, getting XP SP2 out there will most likely really topple that.

Again, this is just my gut feeling, anxious.

Channel 9 is Alive

Rudi Larno — Tue, 06 Apr 2004 20:26:00 GMT

I guess most of us (belgians) do not even know what 'channel 9' is about. Well: if you fly United Arilines in the US, you can actually hear the pilots in the cockpit using the in-flight entertainement system. And you have to tune in on channel 9.

So some crazy guys in Redmond want you to be able to hear (and talk back to) some of those developer-pilots that are steering the Microsoft Products.

It's an experiment, but again it shows how Microsoft is moving towards openness and transparency. I like the fact that it has video, I really feel I get to know this company better.

Bill Gates no longer Nr 1 richest man.

Rudi Larno — Mon, 05 Apr 2004 17:37:00 GMT

I actually heard this on the radio this morning thinking that maybe this again will take off the heat towards Microsoft. I know a lot of people cannot stand the fact that Billg made some good business decisions and earned himself that spot. Again The Register shows that sign of jealousy.

BillG Exec E-Mail about the progress on Security

Rudi Larno — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 20:14:00 GMT

Well, concerning Security, I think to most of you it should be clear that we mean Business. And you should definitely read this e-mail form Billg outlining the work we are doing.

But one thing that is missing is the statement of the work YOU should be doing. Because security affects anybody working with computers. Be it on a Windows machine (no link provided; you should know this by now!), a Mac (http://www.macsecurity.org/), a Linux (http://www.linuxsecurity.com/), anything connected to the NET (and if you are reading this, it means you are connected). Don’t be fooled by hype, any system created by humans has flaws. It’s not because some people choose to live like an ostrich that danger is not around.

Make sure to keep your system secure!