Former Google engineer Julian Harris recently criticized Microsoft for the quality of its current software development. He specifically pointed to Teams and SharePoint as examples of products that he considers the slowest and most error-prone software he has encountered in the last decade.
Harris contrasted this experience with the high regard he holds for Microsoft's legacy in technical literature. He highlighted the book 'Code Complete,' published in 1993, as a foundational text that remains highly relevant for modern software engineering practices, even in the era of AI-assisted coding.
The critique centers on the perceived contradiction between Microsoft's historical contributions to programming standards and the current state of its software products. Harris expressed confusion over how a company with such a deep understanding of software engineering principles produces applications that he describes as uniquely mediocre.
