Photo email feature broken

...

Roll back a web UI update for Microsoft services (Outlook.com, OneDrive, etc.) for nearly a half billion people when it only impacted at best less than a few million using a 5 yr old legacy email application?

 - Photo email using OneDrive was first introduced in the 2nd quarter 2010

The issue wasn't WLM a legacy application last updated in Feb 2013 or the OneDrive desktop app or the Photo email engine...but code impacting the backend server's ability to handshake with the local email client.

Yes, it probably was overlooked relative to WLM's legacy email client Photo e-mail feature and needed to be resolved......but roll back an entire web UI update that improved the feature set and experience for 250-500 times the population of the impacted and local only end-user base.

As Homer Simpson would say when realizing how incredulous that sounds.... Doh!

I'm well aware that the issue was caused by a modified response after the images are uploaded to OneDrive.

Yes, they should have done a rollback. The numbers don't matter. That's exactly the problem. They should never, ever matter. That said reality necessitates that they do but one has to be very careful. And that's not what happened here.

If you re-read what I posted you'll understand I'm not even shooting at the one who broke this code, the one that didn't write the automated test, the one that didn't QA this etc. etc. I'm blaming the manager(s) who didn't take the correct decision.

An update to existing software should never impact existing users. If it does a rollback needs to be considered.

Does the update cause a visual glitch (typo, visual disruption like a short flicker whatever, an action that previously took a few seconds now taking half a minute etc.) then no, no rollback.

In this case however a previously functioning feature is now entirely broken for the end user. That's a giant red flag and warrants an immediate rollback.

I don't give one flying f*** if that means updating 10000 servers and takes a while. If the infrastructure or methods to perform that rollback aren't in place at the moment then that's another issue entirely and needs to be adressed ASAP as well.

Here, I'll make a Nostradamus-like prediction that will also hopefully make my reasoning make more sense:

Some time after Windows 10 is rolled out, they'll perform an update to the login routine that causes all the on-line functionality to be broken on the Client-side with the bug being on the server-side.

They won't perform a rollback and the functionality will remain broken for a set amount of time (because the issue is perceived to be a lot more important than the Photo publishing feature they'll throw more manpower at it).

Good luck Microsoft, you've still got a long way to go and a lot of lessons to learn.

Kind regards,

Bart

Past history, if you've actually been using the application for this specific issue, indicates that fixes are done to address a minor population before a rollback removing other features for the majority population not even using the impacted application. 

The comment  "...a previously functioning feature is now entirely broken for the end user."

 - In case you missed it  -'is' is now 'was'.  i.e. fixed without a need to rollback anything

Before predicting or complaining about the past which at best provides nothing more than entertainment value for discussion sake it doesn't negate what everyone agrees to by use of the application software and the integrated services - the TOU

 - No assurances to the accuracy or results of any output by use of the software. Nor does it preclude MSFT's ability to add or remove features without end-user approval.

Bottom line...you, I and everyone by use of the software and its integrated services agree to allowing MSFT to choose the path for deployment, improvement, removal and corrective action.

 - which also indicates MSFT's right to, if desired, deprecate the entire 'legacy' no longer supported Windows Essentials product line and its available features (e.g. photo email, contact/calendar sync) using the web services (e.g. OneDrive, People, Calendar) at any point in time deemed necessary.   In fact at least three more features will disappear in the near future - the use of DeltaSync Htpp protocol in Windows Live Mail when Outlook.com accounts move to the Office 365 platform impacting the use of the protocol and the loss of synchronization.

Rather than complain about what should be done or predicting the future...it might be more appropriate to devote those efforts to using the alternative and supported MSFT products (Outlook.com, Outlook 2010 and later).

...

Roll back a web UI update for Microsoft services (Outlook.com, OneDrive, etc.) for nearly a half billion people when it only impacted at best less than a few million using a 5 yr old legacy email application?

 - Photo email using OneDrive was first introduced in the 2nd quarter 2010

The issue wasn't WLM a legacy application last updated in Feb 2013 or the OneDrive desktop app or the Photo email engine...but code impacting the backend server's ability to handshake with the local email client.

Yes, it probably was overlooked relative to WLM's legacy email client Photo e-mail feature and needed to be resolved......but roll back an entire web UI update that improved the feature set and experience for 250-500 times the population of the impacted and local only end-user base.

As Homer Simpson would say when realizing how incredulous that sounds.... Doh!

I'm well aware that the issue was caused by a modified response after the images are uploaded to OneDrive.

Yes, they should have done a rollback. The numbers don't matter. That's exactly the problem. They should never, ever matter. That said reality necessitates that they do but one has to be very careful. And that's not what happened here.

If you re-read what I posted you'll understand I'm not even shooting at the one who broke this code, the one that didn't write the automated test, the one that didn't QA this etc. etc. I'm blaming the manager(s) who didn't take the correct decision.

An update to existing software should never impact existing users. If it does a rollback needs to be considered.

Does the update cause a visual glitch (typo, visual disruption like a short flicker whatever, an action that previously took a few seconds now taking half a minute etc.) then no, no rollback.

In this case however a previously functioning feature is now entirely broken for the end user. That's a giant red flag and warrants an immediate rollback.

I don't give one flying f*** if that means updating 10000 servers and takes a while. If the infrastructure or methods to perform that rollback aren't in place at the moment then that's another issue entirely and needs to be adressed ASAP as well.

Here, I'll make a Nostradamus-like prediction that will also hopefully make my reasoning make more sense:

Some time after Windows 10 is rolled out, they'll perform an update to the login routine that causes all the on-line functionality to be broken on the Client-side with the bug being on the server-side.

They won't perform a rollback and the functionality will remain broken for a set amount of time (because the issue is perceived to be a lot more important than the Photo publishing feature they'll throw more manpower at it).

Good luck Microsoft, you've still got a long way to go and a lot of lessons to learn.

Kind regards,

Bart

I'm pretty sure this bug slipped through QA (I hope someone already added an automated test). That said, once they noticed this bug they should have immediately done a rollback.

Roll back a web UI update for Microsoft services (Outlook.com, OneDrive, etc.) for nearly a half billion people when it only impacted at best less than a few million using a 5 yr old legacy email application?

 - Photo email using OneDrive was first introduced in the 2nd quarter 2010

The issue wasn't WLM a legacy application last updated in Feb 2013 or the OneDrive desktop app or the Photo email engine...but code impacting the backend server's ability to handshake with the local email client.

Yes, it probably was overlooked relative to WLM's legacy email client Photo e-mail feature and needed to be resolved......but roll back an entire web UI update that improved the feature set and experience for 250-500 times the population of the impacted and local only end-user base.

As Homer Simpson would say when realizing how incredulous that sounds.... Doh!

You're right onto it, Bart!  How fortunate we have been that knowledgeable people like Firedog has been prepared to help us.  Once again, a BIG THANK YOU to him for pulling us all out of the ****.  But what about all those who didn't discover the 'Photo Email Feature Broken' thread and have had to put up with all those unsatisfactory answers and excuses from the online Microsoft techos.  And have we had ANY apologies or explanations from Microsoft?  I haven't seen any. 

This has disrupted many lives internationally over the past two weeks and is a perfect example of the arrogance of the decision makers at large companies like Microsoft, whose minds seem to be obsessively driven by goals and profits instead of looking after their customers.  Communication and keeping all users in the loop is absolutely key to customer satisfaction and loyalty.  Making mistakes is part of the human condition and therefore excusable; refusing to recognise them and attempting to shift the blame is simply rude and an insult to the intelligence of everyone.

As for now, has the problem really been fixed?  Could it recur?  Can all those nervous customers feel confident once again?  So far the silence from Microsoft has been deafening.   I wonder if we can ever expect some official explanation or do you think anyone who really matters is even listening?

thanks. much for fixing.

I misinterpreted the 'error to be cleared' to mean something other than what it was.

It works fine now, thanks.