ShadowRAM: April 30, 2007

BLOGGERS FOR HIRE
• Microsoft infuriated the blogosphere banshees when it hired a blogger to "correct" Wikipedia entries, but the firestorm hasn't stopped the company from adding another blogger to its payroll: GapingVoid.com cartoonist and marketing consultant Hugh MacLeod, recently began working with the Microsoft partner program's marketing team.

MacLeod is drafting cartoons for the group and posting them on his popular blog, with the goal of stirring up conversation about Microsoft's partnering strengths, challenges and screw-ups.

The project's seed was the "Blue Monster" MacLeod created for a friend at Microsoft last spring. The image spread like memefire through blogs and Microsoft offices, catching the attention of Microsoft marketers looking to tap into that word-of-mouth power. MacLeod now regularly posts entries in the Blue Monster Series on his blog—along with a few outtakes that won't be part of the official series, like a sketch proclaiming "I eat penguin." ("I can already see their legal department turning white," MacLeod quipped.)

FIREWORKS DISPLAY
• An Agassi-less Sapphire was bound to have fewer fireworks. (Last year, Shai Agassi took public exception to various Oracle marketing antics.) But there were signs of irritation last week as minions from Oracle, SAP's biggest rival, handed out Oracle bags and tried to solicit negative comments on video outside the show. Then, SAP CEO Henning Kagermann sniped at an unnamed competitor for "consolidating the past" while SAP "innovates the future."

Push came to shove when a reporter referred to SAP's NetWeaver as proprietary. "What makes you say it's proprietary?" shot back Henning.

"Well, can it work with Oracle?" asked the scribe, clearly taken aback.

"Yes," said Kagermann.

"Does Oracle know that?" was the follow-up, to which the reply was something like "Ask them."

The scribe did just that.

The answer? "NetWeaver does not work with Oracle."

SEEN AND HEARD
• Microsoft sent notice on April 24 to Windows Vista beta customers that their software will expire May 31. The company "fully" expects most beta users "will have moved to a full version of Windows by this time" but is alerting them they can back up data. Fully expects? Does Microsoft really want these so-called "millions" of beta testers to start discovering the numerous hardware and software incompatibilities early adopters have experienced and retailers have been burdened to resolve? When a new version of Windows doesn't run with an HP printer, it's time to call off the party. Maybe Microsoft ought to caution users to wait till SP1. That's what most solution providers are doing.

• CA has worked hard to put its troubles in the rearview mirror. One major PR battle has been to ensure that the vendor now be known exclusively as "CA," not by any other name. But not everyone got the message—and one CA World attendee noted that executive eyes were rolling at the Las Vegas airport when a hotel greeter was heard shouting, "Computer Associates! Computer Associates! Over here!"

• Bidding was on last week for a Montana vacation with Intel's Craig Barrett. The goal of the Craig Barrett Earth Day auction was to benefit the National Forest Foundation. Barrett, who is vice chairman of the foundation board as well as Intel's chairman, will host this "once-in-a-lifetime experience," a three-day visit at Barrett's Triple Creek Ranch "nestled at the foot of the stunning Bitterroot Range." On the agenda? Fly fishing.