==== Compassion for Microsoft ====
-Today we went through [[MIT]] to have lunch at the StattonBuilding.
+Today I went wirh Rafael went through [[MIT]] to have lunch at the
+StattonBuilding.
-Along the InfiniteCorridor, we've seen an ad inviting to a
-MicroSoft conference on development tools. Scheduled for today and
-started a few minutes earlier in room 6-120.
+Along the InfiniteCorridor, we've seen an ad inviting to a MicroSoft conference
+on development tools. Scheduled for today and started a few minutes earlier
+in room 6-120. The ad said silly slogans such as "smart tools for smart people!"
+and "let's talk with Microsoft!" Clearly, they were trying to hire MIT grads!
-The ad said silly slogans such as "smart tools for smart people!"
-and "let's talk with Microsoft!" Clearly, they were trying to hire
-MIT grads!
+So we went to see what this was about. The room was not exactly crowded: only
+a young man eating pizza and a woman wearing a MicroSoft T-Shirt.
+We asked if the conference was still planned, and the woman told us: "yes, I've
+just started introducing XAML, the new ''lingua franca'' for user interface description".
-So we went to see what this was about. The room was not exactly crowded:
-only a young man eating pizza and a woman wearing a MicroSoft T-Shirt.
+So we got sited and watched a presentation which basically said they're still
+busy reinventing XUL and Glade... So they can deliver SilverLight, a Flash
+clone that depends on the .NET runtime.
-We asked if the conference was still planned, and the woman told us: "yes,
-I was introducing XAML". So we got sited
+"Questions?". There weren't any. She offered us a free DVD with developer tools.
+Me and Rafael each took a copy to be polite. The other guy didn't bother.
+
+I had never realized how pathetic Microsoft has become. These days, very few
+people are interested in what they do and what they say. Unexpectedly, today
+I felt some compassion for them... or at least for their employees.
=== Tue, Sep 11th ===