Short: Report a leak and get into Windows “7” beta?
I received a storm of instant messaging traffic today, all unfortunately related to a single topic.
Apparently, Cullen Dudas, an overly-enthusiastic Microsoft do-good’er, is making his rounds today bullying everyone directly and indirectly related to the recent leaks of Windows “7” Milestone 3 screenshots (i.e. Paint). With the backing of Microsoft notables, such as Paul Donnelly and Drew Briggs, he provides an enticing offer: Give him information on leakers and he’ll get you into the Windows “7” beta.
According to his Blogger profile (amongst the other three million profile hits on Google), he can be reached at cullend@live.com. Send him all your tidbits and you’ll get in -- That is, if he, and Microsoft, can keep their word (while supplies last).
Update: Drew Briggs, I’m told, is not in Windows anymore.
Im so gonna do this!!!</sarcasm)
So you give up any credibility in getting leaked to in return for stuff under NDA?
As a journalist this would be retarded. I suppose as an enthusiast it would be neat, but appreciating technology doesn’t pay the bills.
@Yert: Interesting view!
@Yert: Finally, someone who understands!
vista was dead due to lack enthusiasm from the beta scene and cutting down on leaks did that. so if windows 7 is going to be a winner it needs to leak and leak and leak
So what happens if you rat on yourself, will you still get in then?
Lets hope they don’t do one for Windows Live…
Hell why don’t i just shoot a bullet in my foot i mean thats about what it equals to lol.
If I have this right, you received word that Cullen is bullying people. His method, providing a beta invite in exchange for information. Is that a joke?
This is endemic of what is wrong with the current Microsoft Beta programs. The last few Windows Beta’s have had people like this who act as Newsgroup police, beating down people who ask questions they feel are below them, adding absolutely no value and creating noise.
They post with an arrogance that you would expect they are employees of Microsoft, not in fact people who just have WAY too much time on their hands. I wonder what their bug count is like, or all their energy is directed to being unofficial police officers.
Someone with some common sense in MS should gag these people for the good of all the other normal beta testers.
[...] Windows tester, Cullen Dudas, has contacted at least two Windows enthusiasts this week, seemingly offering them places on the Windows 7 beta if they turned in sources of the Windows 7 leaks. I asked Dudas whether — as Windows blogger Rafael Rivera alleged — he was working on behalf of [...]
i beleave this windows 7 is better to Windows Vista because it’s making with one new kernel on O.S i want one leaked released i beleave is best of windows i saw tks ppl for all news is comming soon
Thats just lame, Cullen, you are not making the world a better place.
Shouldn’t MS be more concerned about something that actually hurts their bottom line (retail piracy) rather than using someone that’s not even an MS employee to hunt down leakers of alpha/beta material? Alpha/Beta material will leak, it’s inevitable, and it only helps excite the community who are interested in learning everything they can about Microsoft’s upcoming products.
Apple’s attempts at trying to hunt down leakers/sources of upcoming products didn’t win many fans for Apple and the same applies to Microsoft.
R O F L …
“This is completely over exaggerated…. This is a rumor that has gotten way out of hand. There was an offer made to two individuals who claimed to have information on the leak, and asked if they could get into the beta. I checked with (Windows beta chief) Paul Donnelly, he said that sure, their names would be written down for the beta when it finally did start up. It wasn’t any sort of bounty or reward, it was just a path to find out what exactly was going on with the leak.”
from:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1600
Wow…thats creepy!
This is a Junior at HighSchool, He claims to be the owner of “I started Something”
Oh Me Gosh…this is worse than Creepy.
“Teen-Age Software Wanna-be Rats on Beta Leeks and Becomes self deluded”
LOLROFPUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!