IP: Windows 2000 source code : [risks] Risks Digest 21.31

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

>Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 17:20:38 -0800
>From: Mark Thorson <mmm@winery.garlic.com>
>Subject: Windows 2000 source code
>
>Microsoft Corp.'s decision last week to give its 1,000 top U.S. enterprise
>customers access to the Windows 2000 source code has been sharply criticized
>by smaller customers.  [Source: eWeek (formerly PCWeek), "Windows Source
>Code Deal: Not For All", March 12, 2001, page 20]
>
>   ... even more concern was raised by its implementation language,
>   Microsoft Basic.  ``Most of our programmers haven't used Basic since
>   college,'' said an IT manager at a Fortune 500 insurance company, ``most OS
>   guys don't consider it [Basic] to be a serious implementation language.''
>
>   Mike Conelrad, a senior programmer at an enterprise solution provider
>   based in Kentucky, said he is disappointed that Microsoft has only chosen
>   to release 'desimonyzed' source code.  ``The original variable names have
>   been replaced with code names like A002134,'' according to Conelrad.
>   ``That tells me absolutely nothing about the variable.  But with a name
>   like wParam, at least I know that the variable is word length.''
>
>   ``Some of the variable names were unacceptable,'' said Microsoft
>   spokesperson Lirpa Loof.  ``They used trademarks improperly and had other
>   defects which were simply not acceptable in any Microsoft product.''
>   Sources close to the Windows 2000 development team indicate that the
>   defects include references to Microsoft founder Bill Gates and other
>   officers of the Redmond-based company.



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