Sadly Microsoft still walking the same old wracked road, it thinks it's all about money.
Yes! Microsoft managed to buy Nokia's Software and Hardware assets, but they failed to grasp why many talented Software Developers were loyal to Nokia though there were other better choices (From the perspective of $s).
Last year Microsoft CEO were clapping on the stage and saying 'Developers Developers Developers' ... But the front line of MS's employees were caring ONLY about taking pictures and sharing them on social networks without showing any interest or engaging with developers or even have the decency to answer their technically related questions.
Yes! Nokia were making an elegant devices and efficient OSs - Let's put Asha aside as it was ages step back from Symbian and MeeGo and took place during the new administration era - but above all of this and most importantly Nokia had the efficient human element, whether they were in the administration, customers and developers support or software developers, they were like one strong fabric that worked in a harmony.
A few years ago Microsoft got rid of Nokia's experienced employees and pushed away Nokia's loyal and talented developers in many disrespectful ways, thinking they are a burden and belong to an obsolete era, and focused only on creating a new blood line of software developers, and this was Microsoft's fatal mistake that got it on its knees in mobile industry (From about 27% of global market share that Nokia had to about 0.5% in a couple of years)... You don't start from scratch while you have giant competitors as Google and Apple.
Last year I had hopes that Microsoft mentality might have changed, that it might redeem the harms it did to open source community when it took down Symbian and MeeGo and pushed away Nokia's talented developers, but it got me badly disappointed.
To sum up my thoughts, Microsoft lacks the human element that can reach out and gain the hearts of software developers, especially individual ones. So, offering open source projects or extra $s for developers is likely not gonna put Microsoft on the desired track ... Human element is the key.
P.S: Personally I'd like to see Microsoft making it back to mobile industry - More accurately continuing and building on what Nokia had - to avoid domination by Google and Apple on Mobile OSs industry.
Another P.S: I admire the work of Microsoft's software developers on Windows 10, but without efficient human element that can reach out to software developers it would all go to waste, and as a fellow software developer it really sads my heart.
As usual, let's see what future brings.
My warmth regards,
Ashraf Alshahawy
May 8, 2018