Microsoft Quizzes Linux Users

A Microsoft program manager in Great Britain has sent e-mail to Linux user group administrators asking them to participate in a survey purportedly intended to help Microsoft improve its operating systems--and, probably, to compete better with Linux.

Michael Surkan sent his request to several list administrators, saying he wants to know why they find Linux and Open Source software so useful.

Survey Requested

Here is the text of the e-mail he sent:

"I am a program manager in the Microsoft networking group, doing some research around how we can improve our operating systems. My goal is to help us identify capabilities, improvements, and features that Microsoft should be focusing on to help our customers over the next 5 years or so. I am particularly interested in hearing from Linux users, and getting their input about what they feel should be priorities.

I was wondering if you would mind if I posted a message on your Linux mailing list asking for feedback? I want to ask for people to e-mail me directly if they would be interested in taking an on-line survey I have put together (sorry, I don't want to post the survey URL directly to the public).

If you don't feel this is an appropriate use of your list, that's fine. Of course, I am always eager to hear your thoughts if you wanted to share them. :-)"

Correspondence Confirmed

Surkan also wrote this text in another e-mail sent to a Linux user group: "For what it's worth, I actually like Linux, and use it for some projects at home and for our family. Not that I consider myself an expert by ANY stretch of the imagination."

He added, "P.S. This report is a skunkworks project of mine, and really doesn't have anything to do with my 'day' job. I just feel very strongly that Microsoft needs to listen better to what users need and want to try and change attitudes."

Although some list administrators wondered whether this was a highly elaborate spoof, Microsoft confirms Surkan's queries. The software giant has issued a statement supporting its manager: "Michael Surkan's survey is part of the market research that Microsoft often conducts to better understand customer preferences and to enhance its products."

One list administrator who was contacted declined the offer to help. The Minnesota Northfield Linux Users Group administrator says, "I turned him down. There are a number of reasons why, but they mostly boil down to this: There is no incentive for us to give Microsoft our time and advice. They could never reciprocate. They're not interested in making the computing world better; they're only interested in making their next quarter revenues. That's fine, I'm not antibusiness. But business is business and freedom is freedom; they want free beer and I want free speech. I have definite goals in using Linux, and helping someone whose bosses [for example] fund SCO contradict that."

Surkan sent out another survey request to the Greater Seattle Linux User's Group. The survey asked, it is said, "Why do you like Linux?" The covering text said, "I think there is a lot my company [Microsoft] can learn from open source and Linux to make better solutions for our customers. I am collecting information for writing a report with recommendations to send to our management."

Survey questions include, "What best describes your Linux knowledge level?" and, "List the top one or two improvements that you would like to see made to Linux."