Ramble

Update: The author of the anonymous email was revealed by Mary Jo Foley at ZDNet Blogs. The author himself has written a response on his own blog.

This very interesting article is supposedly an internal Microsoft memo that relays what life is like inside Google as compared to Microsoft. I am surprised to learn that Google seems to disregard the importance of private offices for developers. I know from my own experience that the number one issue I have at work (besides the pay , is a lack of a private office within an interrupt-driven culture. I have a hard enough time getting work done within a laid-back, academic IT department because of all the interruptions. I don’t know how Google engineers accomplish anything. Does everyone get a good pair of sound isolating headphones?

Of course, this is supposedly a Microsoft memo, so it is logical that it would paint Microsoft as the better working environment, but it does include some constructive criticism of what Microsoft could do to change their own culture. Although, I think Microsoft needs to make bigger changes than just offering Google-style free food in the cafeteria.

I still think I’d rather work at Google than Microsoft.