Every time Microsoft starts to do things to make then seem less evil, then almost compulsively seem to find some way to take a couple steps back. I saw it with my own dealings on the issue of privacy a few years back and now they seem to be at it again. Lately Hugh's Blue Monster campaign began to make progress that put a more human face on the company. Then Microsoft's Brad Smith and Horacio Gutierrez put the company two steps back.

I know there are people there, but honestly when see stunts like this you have to wonder if the people who have taken Hugh's message to heart have any power inside the company.

As Doc notes "If Microsoft were as smart ... it would engage the free and open source world. It would build on top of it, rather than fight it. Alas, it has given its customers a much bigger reason not to buy Microsoft stuff than not to use free and open source stuff."

Some days I think they want move beyond their evil reputation they have built up and others, like today, I wonder if they have learned anything at all.