The Shared Source Initiative makes publicly available the source code for many of Microsoft’s core products, including Windows and Office. And the company’s okay with that.
By Steve Birge
“I know customers are super excited to get access to source,” said Shawn Burke, a director in DevDiv’s .NET Development Platform. “It’s something they’ve wanted for a long time.”
Believe it or not, there are non-Microsoft people digging into the kernel source code for Windows, Office, and other prized corporate assets.
Before you start to worry too much, the company knows about it and, in fact, encourages it. Don’t think the company has gone all open source on you. It’s part of the Shared Source Initiative (SSI), whereby almost anyone – including customers, partners, developers, academics, and governments worldwide – can access and work with actual source code of many Microsoft technologies.
Since 2002, more than 80 technologies have been made available through the SSI, including a set of .NET framework libraries just released for sharing in mid-January. Additionally, more than 600 non-Microsoft technologies have been released under a Shared Source license.
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Miguel
The geek in question: Miguel Susffalich
The job title: SDET, BizTalk/Oslo
(and Peruvian rock star)
What are you working on?
I’m an SDET working in the Distributed Application Server team of the Connected Systems Division, specifically working in features for BizTalk Server and Oslo.
How did you get your gig at Microsoft?
I did a five year software engineering degree in Peru at UPC, and one of my career goals was to work at Microsoft. Last year I tried every option available to get in touch — I submitted my resume through the careers portal, I got into the rockstar coding contest on Jobsblog, and I had a friend refer me. I’m not sure how I actually got to the recruiter, but I got a call in August saying that my visa had been approved and I was able to take the next steps! And here I am! Continue reading →
Can you spot the Microspotting picture in the WSJ?
A Microspotting photo showed up in the
Wall Street Journal online today!
If you look closely here, you can see a screenshot of the Workin it @ MSFT page on Facebook. I’m an admin for that group, and we used a photo from Justin Wilcox’s Microspotting profile the main image. Hence, even though Microspotting itself isn’t in the WSJ, you get to see a Microspotting picture.
Justin ponders
If you missed the profile of Justin and his mohawk back in October, it’s worth a
read. Oh, and speaking of Justin … He’s actually preparing to leave Teh ‘Soft™ to go start his own
company! While I’m sad to see him go, I consider it a Microsoft success story when someone gets the training and support they need here to go start up their own thing. Plus, as
Gretchen is proof of, smart alumi not infrequently find their way back.
I totally just spit free soda all over my screen watching this Channel 10 video.
Extra funny? The comment from the dude who doesn’t get the joke.
A writer for MSW shares his experience going through LASIK. Microsoft’s benefits provided incentive for the vision correcting surgery.
By Joshua Isaac
February 18, 2008
“Look at the light, Josh,” the doctor said.
Joshua Isaac poses with his wife Kim, and children Jacob, Sam, and Sophie prior to LASIK eye surgery. He used corrective lenses for over 20 years.
From what I’ve been told, that’s not something one should do in an operating room during a procedure—or is that run to the light?—but despite what I’ve heard, I try anyway to focus on the small orange blinking light. My right eye surgery went fine just minutes earlier, but my left eye refuses to stay in one place. It keeps crawling back from the light and the doctor’s wishes.
“Keep looking at the light.”
Of course I want to shut my eyes, but a small clamp holds the lids open. I peer as best I can into the light. Meanwhile, three technicians shuffle around me in the darkened operating room as the doctor pokes away. After a brief suction noise that goes “swoosh-swoosh,” followed by a slight buzzing, the procedure ends—no more than 20 minutes in all.
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Mini as interpreted on white board
Perhaps you’re familiar with
Mini-Microsoft, the anonymous Deep Throat Microsoft blogger who’s been
lovingly griping online about the company online since 2004.
Mini is somewhat infamous (having been interviewed by Business Week and The Seattle Times) and has managed to maintain his anonymity despite all the attention.
I recently had the chance to pester Mini with some of my own questions, and took the opportunity to ask him about his sad experience with facebook, how he felt about Fake Steve Jobs, and his groupies.
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