Microsoft has developer relations nearly down to a science, to the point that Microsoft classifies developer "personas": Mort is the Visual Basic developer; Elvis writes in C#; and Einstein uses C++.
When Microsoft creates an easy way to do something complex, someone is apt to say: "Now Mort can write transactions!" (For a full Microsoft description, see this blog on personas.)
But that classification system, which appears to be mostly a code-word for Microsofties to use internally, has come under fire in recent days.
Consultant Scott Bellware, a Microsoft MVP who uses Microsoft development software, wrote a blog on Tuesday calling the Mort/Elvis/Einstein labels obsolete and an "ethically bankrupt mechanism to pigeon-hole software developers".
Some Microsofties have jumped in to echo his views, including Microsoft high-profile blogger Robert Scoble. John Montgomery, who, as it turns out is doing a development tool aimed at hobbyists and "do-it-yourselfers", chimed in as well.
"The existing personae don't map to the reality," wrote Montgomery. "For example, on average a developer uses over 2 programming languages regularly."
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Bryan Reich - 02/05/06
You have got to be kidding me. These profiles are simply a way to get developers and PMs to focus on scenarios by imagining an overal usage pattern for which you are designing a feature to make sure it falls into a valid scenario and is not a feature for feature sake. To turn it into anything more than that is simply an exercise in complaint for complaint's sake.
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