Kevin Turner: Midmarket CIO Summit
Vista today, post-Service Pack 2, which is now in the marketplace, is the safest, most reliable OS we’ve ever built. It’s also the most secure OS on the planet, including Linux and open source and Apple Leopard. It’s the safest and most secure OS on the planet today.
I really, really, really, really hate crap like this for two reasons:
- It’s an outright lie to improve sales.
- It makes my job harder.
The first reason doesn’t bother me so much. I can live with marketing FUD. The second, however, bothers me quite a bit. It puts the burden on me, an IT professional who has to support actual end users on a daily basis, to prove beyond a shadow of doubt that Windows IS NOT more secure than Linux or OS X. In an academic/research environment, the person who is more credentialed is believed first. So in this case, I’m up against a Microsoft CIO. I can see the future conversation now:
- Them – “Hey, I read Windows is more secure than Linux or OS X”
- Me – “That’s a lie to improve sales on Microsoft’s end”
- Them – “But the guy who said it was Microsoft’s Chief Information Officer. He must know what he’s talking about”
- Me – “You would think so, but he’s putting his company’s interest over his customers’. It’s a lie to improve sales.”
- Them – “Are you saying you’re smarter than a Microsoft CIO?”
- Me – “No, I’m saying it’s a lie. Windows is not more secure than OS X or Linux.”
- Them – “You expect me to believe you over a CIO?”
- Me – “In this case, yes.”
Then I go on to have to explain myself and cite references of proof, in which they will lose interest 5 minutes into my explanation.
So, because of a careless statement by someone who should know better, it’s effectively made my life harder. Thanks Kevin!