Microsoft’s marketing chief admits Windows 10 upgrade was pushed too aggressively

[Guest]

Microsoft Windows 10 was one of the company's biggest endeavors given how aggressively they pushed customers to upgrade to the new OS through messages within the system which annoyed some to the point that they would file lawsuits. The OS also drew criticism due to its privacy settings which led to many people holding off their upgrades. Microsoft's CMO recently admitted in an interview that they may have pushed the OS too hard.

 

 

Quote

“We know we want people to be running Windows 10 from a security perspective, but finding the right balance where you’re not stepping over the line of being too aggressive is something we tried and for a lot of the year I think we got it right, but there was one particular moment in particular where, you know, the red X in the dialog box which typically means you cancel didn’t mean cancel,” he said.

 

“And within a couple of hours of that hitting the world, with the listening systems we have we knew that we had gone too far and then, of course, it takes some time to roll out the update that changes that behavior. And those two weeks were pretty painful and clearly a lowlight for us. We learned a lot from it obviously.”

 

Microsoft tried to explain their side of the red X incident via an article that explained why they chose to do what they did, but many didn't accept the explanation which led to Microsoft disabling the red X box which led to even more anger among the community of users.

 

I don't personally use Windows 10 nor do I plan on upgrading anytime soon though I don't really judge anyone who uses the OS. I'm honestly quite surprised that even the CMO, the person in charge of Marketing the damn thing, thought it was pushed to aggressively. I mean sure most of the decisions were partaken in as a company but the fact that even the guy who is supposed to know how to market the product admits the flaws with their strategy is simply appalling to see especially from such a large company.

 

Source: Softpedia, Twit (Interview)

[SCHISCHKA]

MS has done worse things than promote its new OS. Home users only got a taste of the way they treat their business customers

[Nobel]

Whilst the Windows 10 rollout has had mild success, the aggressive strategies they used with it and the issues they caused is just another chilling reminder of Microsoft's near monopoly on the OS market. 

 

You know another thing they would also have learnt from this? That being the dominant OS for over 2 decades means there is an entire generation who are tied to the Windows environment. If Microsoft make a decision that Windows users don't like, the majority of them will just complain, and won't be willing or able to switch to iOS or Linux. 

 

Bill Gates built his empire almost too well. It still stands very strongly to this day. 

[patrickjp93]

Nah, not pushed hard enough. Just threaten to brick the old OS machines b/c of security concerns. That'll get 'em moving.

[Master Disaster]

14 minutes ago, patrickjp93 said:

Nah, not pushed hard enough. Just threaten to brick the old OS machines b/c of security concerns. That'll get 'em moving.

You mean lie to people in order to make your side of the story seem more plausible?

 

I wonder who does that other than Microsoft?

[patrickjp93]

1 minute ago, Master Disaster said:

You mean lie to people in order to make your side of the story seem more plausible?

 

I wonder who does that other than Microsoft?

No, because security in Win7 and 8 is vastly worse than 10. No lies required, just like me.

[Liltrekkie]

On 12/26/2016 at 3:02 AM, patrickjp93 said:

Nah, not pushed hard enough. Just threaten to brick the old OS machines b/c of security concerns. That'll get 'em moving.

 

Sure let's brick peoples computers with their personal files simply because they might not like to learn a new operating system and their current one was fine. Let's do something completely stupid because Windows 7 was a fine operating system. Let's brick systems that were not a hazard simply because we don't like that it's old. 

 

Let's brick your phone because it may not have the latest version of android or doesn't have the latest security patch. Let's brick your car because it's not the newest model and the MPG isn't as good as the new one. Let's brick you because absolutely no one likes you and you spew shit every time you post.  

 

I personally like Windows 10, and I wanted it, but I disagree with how they pushed it on users, in the age of the internet, privacy is a huge issue for lots of people. Maybe they should have addressed those issues instead of just pushing Windows 10 anyway.

[patrickjp93]

On 12/26/2016 at 3:30 AM, Liltrekkie said:

Sure let's brick peoples computers with their personal files simply because they might not like to learn a new operating system and their current one was fine. Let's do something completely stupid because Windows 7 was a fine operating system. Let's brick systems that were not a hazard simply because we don't like that it's old. 

 

Let's brick your phone because it may not have the latest version of android or doesn't have the latest security patch. Let's brick your car because it's not the newest model and the MPG isn't as good as the new one. Let's brick you because absolutely no one likes you and you spew shit every time you post.  

 

I personally like Windows 10, and I wanted it, but I disagree with how they pushed it on users, in the age of the internet, privacy is a huge issue for lots of people. Maybe they should have addressed those issues instead of just pushing Windows 10 anyway.

Privacy is an issue only for lunatics who thought it could ever exist or be maintained.

 

And the Google security audits of Win7 and 8 put it as vastly more insecure than Win 10. Bricking the Win 7 OS would be a service to the entire IT industry.

[Liltrekkie]

1 minute ago, patrickjp93 said:

Privacy is an issue only for lunatics who thought it could ever exist or be maintained.

 

And the Google security audits of Win7 and 8 put it as vastly more insecure than Win 10. Bricking the Win 7 OS would be a service to the entire IT industry.

 

You've just made my point for me. Good job.

[patrickjp93]

5 minutes ago, Liltrekkie said:

 

You've just made my point for me. Good job.

As long as financially-exploitable information can be reached in any corner of the web, it will never be private nor secure. There is no perfect security, and thus there is no true privacy. There's a temporary phantasm. That's it.

[Sakkura]

1 hour ago, DatSpeed said:

I don't personally use Windows 10 nor do I plan on upgrading anytime soon though I don't really judge anyone who uses the OS. I'm honestly quite surprised that even the CMO, the person in charge of Marketing the damn thing, thought it was pushed to aggressively. I mean sure most of the decisions were partaken in as a company but the fact that even the guy who is supposed to know how to market the product admits the flaws with their strategy is simply appalling to see especially from such a large company.

Would you rather they didn't see or admit to their mistakes? Everyone will make a mistake sooner or later, how you react to your mistakes is important.

 

But of course, avoiding a mistake like this was possible, so admitting to it doesn't entirely absolve Microsoft of blame.

[abazigal]

On 12/26/2016 at 3:30 AM, Liltrekkie said:

Sure let's brick peoples computers with their personal files simply because they might not like to learn a new operating system and their current one was fine. Let's do something completely stupid because Windows 7 was a fine operating system. Let's brick systems that were not a hazard simply because we don't like that it's old. 

 

Let's brick your phone because it may not have the latest version of android or doesn't have the latest security patch. Let's brick your car because it's not the newest model and the MPG isn't as good as the new one. Let's brick you because absolutely no one likes you and you spew shit every time you post.  

 

I personally like Windows 10, and I wanted it, but I disagree with how they pushed it on users, in the age of the internet, privacy is a huge issue for lots of people. Maybe they should have addressed those issues instead of just pushing Windows 10 anyway.

I believe he was being sarcastic. 

 

That said, Microsoft certainly has the clout and the market share to make such a push if they felt so inclined. 

[Misanthrope]

Hehehe, I gotta love how some of you disagree with Microsoft executives: "No no, it was not pushed hard. In fact not hard enough you should have created even more bad fucking blood with your customers because why wouldn't a stupid neckbeard on a forum know more than you about your own damn job and company?"

[LAwLz]

Wait, they thought the "ignoring means consent" (which is great logic by the way, rapists should start using that too) was when they stepped over the line? The entire thing was way over the line.

 

 

32 minutes ago, abazigal said:

I believe he was being sarcastic. 

It's incredibly difficult to tell with Patrick. He might be joking, or he might be serious.

 

1 hour ago, patrickjp93 said:

And the Google security audits of Win7 and 8 put it as vastly more insecure than Win 10. Bricking the Win 7 OS would be a service to the entire IT industry.

Got any links to back that statement up with?

 

Just now, Misanthrope said:

Hehehe, I gotta love how some of you disagree with Microsoft executives: "No no, it was not pushed hard. In fact not hard enough you should have created even more bad fucking blood with your customers because why wouldn't a stupid neckbeard on a forum know more than you about your own damn job and company?"

Patrick is not the only one. Remember when this was first announced and the Microsoft Defense Force went "oh this is completely fine and justified"?

[Doobeedoo]

Yeah I guess they wanted to start more fresh and big with W10 and also as so called last Windows so they pushed more. 

Though canceling upgrade was possible for that time frame with not much hassle. True they didn't make it 100% clear and intuitive for users. Reasons right. 

Personally never had any issues with W10 mind you I do clean installs. 

 

I could see the move may upset people with their overzelous upgrade suggestion nagging but media as is also overblows everything. Cause there werent such many people who had big issues that flew around. It was much smaller than people think.

 

I guess at best user friendly way they could've do is like giving notofication popup baloon each month for upgrade as reminder. And simly having upgrade tray icon there for upgrade option whenever ready. 

[imPixelTV]

windows 10 crashed like fuck in the ~10 months i had it. it was slow, unstable and unpolished. they shouldnt have shipped it in july 2015. i'd probably use it now if they had perfected it more. it just seemed rushed like vista. i'm staying on 7 unless my new pc doesnt work on 7.

[Syntaxvgm]

yah my asshole is still chaffed. 

[LAwLz]

Just now, Doobeedoo said:

Cause there werent such many people who had big issues that flew around. It was much smaller than people think.

Source?

Also, big computer breaking issues might not have been that common but small issues were definitely common.

 

Windows 10 reached 100 million installs in the blink of an eye. If even 1% of those users had big issues then that would be 1 million people (and from both my limited sample size and the estimated Google results when searching for issues, it was far more than 1%).

I don't think the media blew the issue up at all. Imagine what would have happened if 1 million iPhones were defective within like the first month of sales.

[Doobeedoo]

3 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

Source?

Also, big computer breaking issues might not have been that common but small issues were definitely common.

 

Windows 10 reached 100 million installs in the blink of an eye. If even 1% of those users had big issues then that would be 1 million people (and from both my limited sample size and the estimated Google results when searching for issues, it was far more than 1%).

I don't think the media blew the issue up at all. Imagine what would have happened if 1 million iPhones were defective within like the first month of sales.

There was topic about it at that time of upgrade period. Though small issues aside, the major ones where laptop would get bricked where it was quite old too or even out od spec. Many major issues were from upgrade not clean installs. 

I mean I get what you're saying. Though phone issues which can be physical is well terrible. Software side fix on the way or bricked which yeah bad luck.

 

[Sakkura]

12 minutes ago, LAwLz said:

Source?

Also, big computer breaking issues might not have been that common but small issues were definitely common.

 

Windows 10 reached 100 million installs in the blink of an eye. If even 1% of those users had big issues then that would be 1 million people (and from both my limited sample size and the estimated Google results when searching for issues, it was far more than 1%).

I don't think the media blew the issue up at all. Imagine what would have happened if 1 million iPhones were defective within like the first month of sales.

An OS bug is not the same as a hardware defect. As for iOS, it has had plenty of bugs itself over the years.

[desertcomputer]

Not hard enough ... should just have upgrade to window 10 which is masked as window update, basically when you restart your computer backup it going to be window 10.  

[zMeul]

3 hours ago, patrickjp93 said:

No, because security in Win7 and 8 is vastly worse than 10. No lies required, just like me.

the W7 and W8 security isn't worse because the nature of the OS, it's worse because MS isn't doing anything about it

could they update the kernel on those OSes, yes they absolutely can; will they? absolutely not

[Commodus]

Microsoft's attitude has long been to get in the user's face... it feels like the Windows 10 upgrade path was just the ultimate manifestation of it.

 

I still remember an article (I believe on Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows) where a Microsoft exec seriously argued that Windows wasn't as intrusive as the Mac because it didn't bounce app icons.  Says the company whose OS virtually revolves around "don't look at what you're doing, look at this!" between intrusive system tray pop-ups, Vista's notoriously aggressive UAC prompts, and of course both harassing users to upgrade to Windows 10 and even tricking them into installing it against their will.

 

I do think Windows 10 is ultimately better from security and technological standpoints, but Microsoft could learn a lot from Apple about respecting the user... and that's saying something.

[silberdrachi]

Its the old publicity adage "its best to ask for forgiveness than permission". Basically they can force it down your throat and you might see articles on the front opage about it at first, but then as the months drag on people care less and less and then they can say "oh we are sorry". But the article is on the 10th page of the newspaper, or buried way deep on the webpage, and only the people who really care will see it.

 

Its the way a lot of companies do their roll outs of things they think will be unpopular. Make it horrible at first, then pull back a little bit to make it seem better, then when they arent paying attention repeat from step one.

 

"How do you boil a frog? Put the frog in cold water first, and slowly turn the heat up"

[N3v3r3nding_N3wb]

8 hours ago, patrickjp93 said:

As long as financially-exploitable information can be reached in any corner of the web, it will never be private nor secure. There is no perfect security, and thus there is no true privacy. There's a temporary phantasm. That's it.

So, since the clothes on your back will eventually be taken off anyway, you should just walk around naked?