tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23920348.post1140964539342530173..comments2023-08-01T06:44:13.967-05:00Comments on Desire2Blog: 5 Reasons Microsoft Won't Buy BlackboardBarry Dahlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05284773671664980506noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23920348.post-24370022824597835462009-09-29T12:06:42.414-05:002009-09-29T12:06:42.414-05:00Barry. You're forgetting one thing to hate: th...Barry. You're forgetting one thing to hate: the damn product itself! Time and time again they are asked for fixes, and it just gets put off and put off. I understand feature request delays, but when something just flat-out doesn't work correctly, FIX IT! Don't make excuses. FIX IT! It kills me that they bought Angel, and they're going to phase it out. That's pride winning out over intelligence if I've ever seen it. Angel is better. I've heard more than one Blackboard employee say so. So phase the original Blackboard out, phase Angel in and rename it.... Blackboard. Then Bb can keep their foolish pride AND supply a product that doesn't suck. <br /><br />So - #9 Their product sucks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23920348.post-18973969330656838572009-09-16T10:40:29.138-05:002009-09-16T10:40:29.138-05:00Barry...sorry I missed your comments to my origina...Barry...sorry I missed your comments to my original blog post. It was lots of fun to read your responses. I'm largely sympathetic to your points. My intent was to try to stir things up - I appreciate your willingness to mix it up. Mostly I'd like to hear what MIcrosoft's vision is for staying relevant in higher ed. Thanks again for the comments - I'm putting your blog in my RSS stream. JoshJosh Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10033576161113924516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23920348.post-24200987330366689302009-09-09T09:15:04.796-05:002009-09-09T09:15:04.796-05:00Reasons why MS won't buy Bb need to include: 1...Reasons why MS won't buy Bb need to include: 1. Bb is too big (read: bloated); 2. Bb doesn't have a compelling, innovative product anymore (too slow in the field). MS seems to like to buy small, innovative, up-and-coming businesses that could potentially threaten their marketshare. I don't see how Bb is there.Jared M. Steinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16298048399299003074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23920348.post-2998953828206680292009-09-09T09:02:19.775-05:002009-09-09T09:02:19.775-05:00Hi Ed.
I guess I need to clarify your guess that I...Hi Ed.<br />I guess I need to clarify your guess that I hate them. I most certainly don't hate many of the people who work for the evil empire. I have met several of them over the years and they are generally nice enough people (as long as you are not too near the top of the org chart). A few of them have also expressed embarrassment at the way their employer has been acting for the past few years. <br /><br />So, NO, I don't hate the people. But I DO hate the corporate shenanigans, I hate the litigious nature that is costing all of us boatloads of money, and I hate that they are claiming something to be true that we all know is false ('138 patent plus all their other bogus patents to having invented something that already existed). YES, I HATE all of those things.<br /><br />How can they win back favor with me and thousands of others like me in education? THEY CAN STOP ALL THE BULLSHIT RIGHT NOW! (Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen.)Barry Dahlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05284773671664980506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23920348.post-4924349813119731612009-09-09T08:39:35.462-05:002009-09-09T08:39:35.462-05:00Wow, Barry. I guess you hate them alright. I wonde...Wow, Barry. I guess you hate them alright. I wonder how many more colleagues hate them with this passion and what that fine company could do to win your love again. <br />--- Ed GarayAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23920348.post-40570806820125068602009-09-09T08:31:26.301-05:002009-09-09T08:31:26.301-05:006. They suck.
Back in the days that bb acquired ...6. They suck.<br /><br />Back in the days that bb acquired WebCT, my prediction then was that Oracle, not MS, would buy up Bb.<br /><br />Michael Feldstein's presence at Oracle has, quite possibly, prevented Oracle from making that mistake.<br /><br />Checking the Joshua Kim <a href="http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology_and_learning/5_reasons_microsoft_will_buy_blackboard" rel="nofollow">5 Reasons</a> post, I'd argue that #3 and its assumptions of scalability in the cloud, are assumptions that would cost MS big bucks to make Bb scalable - as far as I'm aware, most C/LMS's scalability is essentially hardware bound, and may be, on the one hand, why Google is building out their own scalable cloud infrastructure from the ground up, so to speak, and on the other hand, why the larger entities like MS and Oracle have steered clear of LMSs.<br /><br />So - #7 scalability.<br /><br />And 8. Bb's attitude toward higher ed sucks.<br /><br />-mikeMike Condonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05776141946425927521noreply@blogger.com