Does IBM squeal every time Microsoft dips its pigtail in the inkwell? You tell me.
Last week, I noticed that IBM had updated its technote on Microsoft’s Connector for Lotus, and reminded readers that, “Lotus didn’t build it and Lotus doesn’t sell it, so Lotus isn’t supporting it… beyond making sure messages make it to the exchange.box.”
A perfectly reasonable position, by the way, for Lotus to assume.
At the same time, I mentioned that Microsoft had come out with a new rev of the connector that actually mangles less mail and is more reliable than its predecessors.
The outcome?
First I get a post from an IBMer plugging his upcoming… book.
A few days later, Redmond’s collaboration team, picked up my meme, under the nom de plume NBlogger.
In case you’re wondering who NBlogger really is…
From the collaboration website: “NBloger is the alias for the internal group of individuals who write about the tools and solutions used to move to a Microsoft collaboration platform. Currently this group includes (Erik Ashby, Lead Program Manger, ErikAsh@Microsoft.Com;).”
Anyway, NBlogger… or NBloger… claimed that, by updating its technote, IBM is acknowledging that Microsoft’s connector is a “necessary\valuable coexistence tool.”
NBlogger gushes that some future version is… “super cool!!!”
And finally, he/she/they bravely proclaim(s):
I want to be clear: Microsoft will support you 100% in the installation & configuration of the connector. IBMs decision to pull support for their customers is unfortunate but we are more than happy to support them.
How can you possibly top thinking on that level? Crazy me. I’ll give it a shot. In other words:
Microsoft will support you 100% like they support everyone else. Thus, it is perfectly understandable that you wish IBM was supporting you… but they can’t, as Microsoft’s Connector for Lotus isn’t IBM’s to support.
Now are we all clear on this?
Anyone else might have delighted in the absurdity, and helped folks understand the joke.
Not IBM’s Lotus team. They strapped on their helmets and attacked, point-for-point. Lotus Leader Ed Brill issued a reality check.
Lotus Domino consultant David DeWell went off like a hand grenade, fragging the ’softies on their blog, and Email Battles for not telling him anything he doesn’t already know… as if we had the time. We don’t hang with lonely 32-year old male Scorpios much. (Hey. Look it up. It’s on his blog… OK. I added “lonely.” It seemed like a good fit.)
The entire sordid affair begs for answers to three equally important questions:
- Why can’t the Microsoft Collaboration Team spell?
- Why can’t Lotus take a win when it’s handed to them?
- Do collaboration teams consist of collaborators?
If Number 3 is true, Ballmer’s going to be upset.
All the collaborators are working for MSN/Windows Live… and Google… and Yahoo.
Or at least, that’s what I hear.
Email Battles Backgrounder:
- Yahoo Boss Not Sure If He’d Collaborate With Nazis; Email Battles; 01 June 2006.
- IBM: The new Connector for Lotus Notes is not our problem; NewsByte; Email Battles; 13 June 2006.
- Google equivocation keeps Chinese collaboration on front burner; NewsByte; Email Battles; 12 June 2006.
- Google’s Brin has epiphany regarding China policy; NewsByte; Email Battles; 07 June 2006.
- Yahoo makes music with Chinese masters one more time.; NewsByte; Email Battles; 28 April 2006.
- Chinese internet company censors 40% of postings; NewsByte; Email Battles; 24 April 2006.
- Skype follows the leaders, censors China’s citizens “for their own good”; NewsByte; Email Battles; 20 April 2006.
- Collaboration? Nope. Just business.; NewsByte; Email Battles; 19 April 2006.
- Google takes another blab at its meandering China rationale; NewsByte; Email Battles; 12 April 2006.
- Heroic Yahoo rats out yet another Chinese traitor?; NewsByte; Email Battles; 09 February 2006.
- Google censors Chinese from the USA; NewsByte; Email Battles; 25 January 2006.
- Congress frowns at tech collaborators; NewsByte; Email Battles; 13 January 2006.
- Microsoft does Chinese dirty work; NewsByte; Email Battles; 06 January 2006.
3 comments
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June 23rd, 2006 at 11:28 am
Richard Schwartz
Gregory Engels is not an IBMer. He is an IBM business partner. IBM’s RedBooks are written by teams consisting of IBM employees and outsiders — drawn from the customer and partner communities. The RedBooks can be downloaded for free, and the outside authors receive no compensation for participating in the writing effort; so it may have been a plug, but it was informational not commercial.
June 23rd, 2006 at 3:16 pm
BJ
Hi Richard.
[For those just checking in, Richard’s referring to both this article and http://www.trimmail.com/news/elsewhere/data/1150228807.14/.]
re: “… not an IBMer.”
OK. I’m open to suggestions, but I’ll warn you… Nobody here straps-up in white button-down shirts and ties. I’ll go for “IBM guy” or “IBM pal” or “IBM friend” or “IBM fanboy” or “IBM supporter” or “IBM partisan” or “Lotus lover” or “Domino guru”. But “IBM Business Partner” is so… oh… IBM. And to call him a guru, I have to read something by him that feels guruish.
Sorry to say, Greg doesn’t engender much confidence with, “That right folks, you can only give support on the tools you have build. But fortunatly there is more ways to connect Exchange and Domino as only the connector from Microsoft.”
Sentence One either a) missed the point of the article, or b) was a brutally stiff follow-up. Sentence Two offers no solutions. If he/you/somebody wants to share other ways, he/you/they is/are welcome to submit article(s)/comment(s).
re: “…IBM’s RedBooks are written by…”
…Nobody! THIS RedBook hasn’t been written yet. It doesn’t exist.
re: “…it was informational not commercial.”
Links for a book that doesn’t exist aren’t informational… What did Greg expect readers to find at his site? Sounds pluggish to me… not that there’s anything wrong with that. I couldn’t care less if he includes a link, as long as it lives up to its promise.
When he/she/they/you come out with the book, I’ll be delighted to give him/her/them/you space to plug it… along with byline(s) and link(s).
In fact, all IBMers-and-friends are welcome to submit. You can either help make news or respond to it. Drive or ride.
Just please, please, PLEASE try to be just a wee bit entertaining. The world’s grey enough as it is.
Along those lines, I strongly recommend that Lotus blossoms don’t read today’s Top Story: “Antivirus Makers Deserve What Microsoft’s Serving.”
You’ll really be offended by the inappropriate handling of expensive corporate china.
Did you catch that? “Lotus blossoms?” Now *that’s* funny. (At least it makes one of my editors laugh… But only one.)
So where were we? Oh yeah. Please replace this sentence in the article:
“First I get a post from an IBMer plugging his upcoming… book.”
…with this sentence:
“First I get a post from a non-IBMer plugging his/her/their upcoming… book.”
[fyi: You can see more of Richard’s work at Power of the Schwartz (http://smokey.rhs.com/web/blog/poweroftheschwartz.nsf)]
June 23rd, 2006 at 6:10 pm
Richard Schwartz
LOL on the “blossoms”. There’s a local restaurant called Lilac Blossom, and I regularly make the mistake of calling it Lotus Blossom. Lotus on the brain.
As for the rest… granted on most points. Gregory’s English can be excused, as it is far better than my German. And the book has actually been written. It just hasn’t been folded, spindled, and mutilated by editors, layout, lawyers, etc… all those things that have to be done to books after the authors are done but before a publisher is willing to let anyone see it.
Will keep in mind your invitation to submit news. I’m not blogging enough these days. The two Redbooks that I helped to write are old news, though, so I won’t bother to plug them.