full-disclosure - Re: what we REALLY learned from WMF

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Date: Fri Jan  6 15:00:32 2006
From: Matt.Carpenter at alticor.com (Matt.Carpenter@...icor.com)
Subject: Re: what we REALLY learned from WMF

Gadi Evron <ge@...uxbox.org> wrote on 01/05/2006 04:53:45 PM:

<snip>
> 2. Microsoft decided to jump through a few QA tests this time, and 
> release a patch.
> 
> Why should they be releasing BETA patches?
> If they do, maybe they should release BETA patches more often, let those 

> who want to - use them. It can probably also shorten the testing period 
> considerably.
> If this patch is not BETA, but things did just /happen/ to progress more 

> swiftly.. than maybe we should re-visit option #1 above.
> 
> ...
> 
> Maybe it?s just that we are used to sluggishness. Perhaps it is time we, 

> as users and clients, started DEMANDING of Microsoft to push things up a 

> notch.
> 
> ...
> 
> Put in the necessary resources, and release patches within days of first 

> discovery. I?m willing to live with weeks and months in comparison to 
> the year+ that we have seen sometimes. Naturally some problems take 
> longer to fix, but you get my drift.
<snip>

Way to go, Gadi.  Nicely put. 

The opensource guys almost always have different repositories for preview 
and testing.  Ubuntu currently has Dapper available for download and the 
repositories are available, even though it's not due for release until 
April.  Debian has multiple levels of testing platforms, depending on how 
insane you happen to be.  On the consumer end, many customers will also 
maintain two repositories.  One for production, the other to test what 
they're about to push out. 

While Microsoft doesn't open their code to the world early, they could 
selectively involve key customers which are willing to have a couple of 
their PC's run with a different update site.  A 
"test.windowsupdate.microsoft.com" if you will (or the SUS equivalent).

Why should the OSS people have all the fun!?  ;)
Or rather, why should the pay-for customers get the shaft when the free 
stuff is doing it "More Right".

Matt