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by Sam Gentile.
Original Post: More on SQL Server Express Beta 1
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Now that my good pal Ted has posted it as Controversy surrounding SQL Server Express Beta1 I should say a bit more. The title of my blog post and what I said was designed to stir up a discussion and express that I felt that Microsoft had not shipped a useful beta even for bleeding edge developers. People who know me well, know that you don't get much more bleeding edge than me. That's where I live. I am usually 12-14 months ahead on any given Microsoft technology of beta or ship.
Discussion is a great thing! Ted captured it exactly right as “Which then leads into a question for discussion: with whose experiences do you more identify? Sam's (as in, "I tried it and I hate it"),...?” This got some people upset. I don't like the product in its current form and I said so. I felt that the product in its current form had too much friction and hardship for many developers and that they may want to wait a few short weeks until XM appears. One thing to remember is the charter of my blog. I am not a shill for Microsoft or for anyone else. I am true to myself and my readers, no BS. I have been using alpha and beta Microsoft programs since Windows 2.0 and I know what I like and don't like. This blog does not and will not echo a Microsoft party line. I call them as I see them. Anything else would be a failure to my many readers and not what I am about. In fact, I get dozens of emails that thats what people most appreciate about my blog. I am passionate about what I do and that won't change. The nature of alpha programs, last time I checked was to give Microsoft this kind of feedback. In fact, as the above link shows, thats *exactly* the kind of feedback that the SQL Express PM wanted.
Now, on the other hand, Brian Randell, a man I respect very much, has been kind enough to engage in (read comments too) a civilized discussion about my points. My expectations could be a bit of whack but I think we agree that this release is not suitable for a lot of developers. It's real hard to use right now. We agree that the coming Express Manager will change all that. As Ted summarizes, “Which then leads into a question for discussion: with whose experiences do you more identify? Sam's (as in, "I tried it and I hate it"), or Brian's (as in, "I tried it, and it met the expectations I had for it")? “ Thats the beauty that makes up smart people in a community. We can have differing opinions and expectations. Then we discuss them and we learn from each other, but more importantly, Microsoft learns from us because we are the ones that have to live and use the products, not them. Thats what helps make Microsoft make better software. Rubber stamping everything that comes out does not.
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