Updates to Files On-Demand on macOS

Rick_Baumhauer Will all do respect, check yourself, bruh.

Most folks here are aware Apple got up to tomfoolery and Microsoft has to play within the rules. However...

1) It was clearly possible to address most of the issues raised because Microsoft just ended up doing it for the upcoming release.

2) Microsoft's communication on this issue has been will-find-its-way-into-a-textbook bad. Before and after the change.

So let me be perfectly clear about this:

1) Microsoft failed product management for this product by incorrectly understanding customer needs

2) Microsoft failed product marketing and support by failing to adequately communicate

3) Microsoft failed basic human compassion right from the very beginning of this by cynically using Apple's changes to push their publicly stated goals of "nudging" (at first) and then "forcing" (when nudging fails) everyone to be "cloud first" with all data and workloads.

Do the devs deserve to be shit on? No. It's maybe even the case that the specific product manager for OneDrive on MacOS is themselves blameless, caught between priorities from above and changes from Apple.

But above that product manager there are multiple layers of directors, senior directors, VPs and so forth. Those people set the agenda by issuing priorities to their product managers and aligning the incentives of those product managers with Microsoft's strategic directives. The single most important of those strategic directives being to nudge and then force everyone into being "cloud first".

AND THAT RIGHT THERE IS THE PROBLEM

Way higher up than the developers themselves someone within the product management organization absolutely, 100% should have:
1) Recognized that there are actually quite a few people who do not have fibre optic hookups, especially given that the pandemic is still on and distributed working is still a thing.

2) Refused to set dev's priorities such that they functionally eliminated the ability of this product to be used by people without LOLWUT-fast internet connections.

3) Refused to release this update without way more QA, even if they were unable to muster the human compassion for the above two priorities.

All of those criticisms are absolutely, 100% valid, and they literally are the job. Standing up for users is the job of a product manager. Pushing back against unreasonable demands from on high is part of the job of a product manager. Ensuring that your product is tested adequately is part of the job of a product manager.

Given that this release resulted in everything from memory leaks to being functionally unusable for distributed users all the way to deleting people's file without their permission, the anger, resentment, and even hostility demonstrated by the affected towards Microsoft is absolutely justified. What's more, this isn't an incident in isolation. Microsoft makes insensitive choices like this all the time. They regularly crap on their users in order to push their corporate strategic priorities because they know they have a stranglehold on their userbase.

So please go simp for Microsoft elsewhere. For far too many of us using this mismanaged shite isn't a choice. It's something forced upon us if we want to remain employed. We have every right to use any and all methods short of violence to express our displeasure and attempt to drive change.

After all, there are no other mechanisms available.  Nor, in many cases, is there competition. Which is exactly why Microsoft feels comfortable taking this lackadaisical approach to product management, and exactly why every single one of us should be absolutely and mercilessly unrelenting until we see movements towards cultural and business process changes - including amendments to strategic priorities! - which take our requirements and use cases into account.

Good day to you, sir.