Building The Net

Microsoft training, where the fear begins.

A recent blog story from Daily Finance tells of leaked slides from Microsoft’s Expert Zone training class used to train Best Buy employees, contains out and out lies regarding security and compatibility comparisons between Windows 7 and Linux. For many Linux advocates, this is equivalent to a smoking gun in regards to Microsoft’s unethical methods of promoting it’s products. They point to the fact that Microsoft uses it’s technical training and certification programs to spread false information. WELL DUH!

Keeping it in the family.

Microsoft has consistently attempted to change protocols to favor their products for as long as I can remember. Think of it this way… TCP/IP is the suite of protocols used on the Internet. The key protocol that allows name resolution for domains is called Directory Name Services (DNS), and is the foundation of communications on the Internet. Microsoft added tons of additional proprietary hooks to their implementation of DNS, and now trains on their version of DNS. So what is wrong with that? Well if you are learning about DNS for the first time, and instead of learning the actual underlying protocol, you are instead taught only how to setup DNS on a Windows server, what server do you think you will tell your boss to buy?

Microsoft has tried time and time again to force it’s vision on what the HTTP protocol should include, and have promoted the idea that all web pages and web applications should be written in their .Net framework, which basically locks out the use of any other browser other then Internet Explorer. Since IE is only available for Windows, they (Microsoft) has created a requirement for their Operating System on all clients that want to attach to that .Net site.

Xenophobia: Fear of strangers and/or the unknown.

I believe many of today’s network and system administrators that come from a Windows Only world suffer from xenophobia.

Unix/Linux and Network administrators are usually judged by their ability to solve problems under extremely stressful conditions. Most top level system and network administrators deal with command lines and obscure protocols that make the core tick. Dealing with problems that could potentially effect thousands, and sometimes millions of users forces these administrators to hone their skills. I was taught early in my career to stay calm in the face of great problems, as panic will surely cause you to fail.

In contrast, most windows administrators are judged by their ability to maintain a consistent user environment. They seldom deal directly with core communications devices such as routers and managed switches. They tend to be less comfortable with managing any device or server that does not have a mouse attached to it.

For many Microsoft administrators, the only formal training they have ever received has been from Microsoft. Microsoft does a good job of forcing their agenda down the throats of their students. And what is their agenda? Well, from all I’ve seen, it’s to create FUD (Fear Uncertainty and Doubt) around any solution that Microsoft deems a competitor. This training causes the average Windows Administrator to harbor an unfounded fear of network and computer systems they do not understand. And, since the students learn how to do things the Microsoft way, they never learn about the underlying protocols or standards.

Why would corporate America allow windows administrators to be trained in this fashion? Shouldn’t they want the best and least expensive solution for their enterprise? Not exactly, see it works like this… If you only train someone to do a specific job using specific tools, most people will only feel comfortable doing that job with those tools. This allows management to control their career, and dictate there earning potential. We have seen this is all types of manufacturing and retail businesses, and now, we are seeing it in IT.

Making the IT department like a McDonald’s.

One reason that large business likes Open Source is that it gives them an advantage over medium business. The advantage is that they can leverage an IT department of highly trained and educated personnel that can build and maintain low cost systems for all their business processes. They look at software as something that is created to build and maintain their business continuity, not something that they would license as a necessary evil.

In contrast, medium and small business is concerned about loosing control of their IT costs. They tend to look software as something that is purchased, not developed. Their business processes tend to be dictated by the software they run, not by the continuity desired.

If you look at McDonald’s work flow, or any large fast food chain, you will see that their employees require very little training. This is due to the total lack of decision making skills required to do the job. This allows McDonald’s to pay poor wages, and allows them to replace employees at will.

Ultimately, Microsoft wants to make Windows administration like the cash register at McDonald’s. By doing that, they can continue to drive down the salaries of Windows administrators, which ultimately will please corporate America, who in the end, looks at the network as a burden, not a tool.

So, it’s Microsoft’s fault?

WELL DUH!

— Stu