Microsoft Connect

A few years ago, Microsoft maintained a website called the "wish list" where ordinary customers could post suggestions for improvements to their software products. Alas, the website as short-lived, and if you wanted your commentary to be heard in the days since then, you've had to participate in any one of the numerous beta programs that Microsoft has supported. (And you've had to come to the realization that unless you found a blue-screen bug, your thoughts on design might not reach the ear of any Microsoft employee.)

I'm happy to report that for those of you running Server 2008 or any other Microsoft product, you now have an avenue for sharing your design suggestions. Some of you may already be familiar with "Microsoft Connect" (http://connect.microsoft.com) as a way of getting an advance look at upcoming technologies. But now Microsoft has revamped the site and included areas where you can suggest new features (and, for that matter, report bugs).

You can still use Microsoft Connect to download select public betas and "solution accelerators" - it's where I got my first look at PowerShell several months ago - but the new feedback provisions are welcome. If those of us who are up to our necks in Microsoft products use those provisions wisely (think high signal-to-noise ratio), maybe The Powers That Be will take some of our suggestions under advisement. I'm readying my first post today: Make Server Manager remoteable!