Recall Is on the Edge of Being Recalled
Rushing software is generally a bad thing. Incomplete features, bugs and downright broken software are all bad news for users of software.
So, usually I’d support software being delayed until it is completely ready.
In the case of Recall, I think the misguided feature should be canned altogether.
The Strange Case of Recall
Microsoft has developed a clever new feature to ship with their Copilot Plus PCs. It’s a tool that keeps track of everything you see and do on your computer and, in return, it gives you the ability to search everything you’ve ever done on the device. AI does this by looking through your snapshots and then giving you results based on what it’s seen.
Sounds great, right?
It turns out to power the feature Microsoft are screenshotting your active windows every few seconds.
Recall the Danger
Microsoft has a bad reputation for this stuff. They are scraping GitHub to train our AI replacements in a fashion that is widely regarded to be bad for software developers.
Their new idea is widely regarded to be a potential security disaster because all your confidential information would be placed in one single place for hackers to access.
Microsoft committed to making Recall opt-in (so really optional) but it hasn’t been enough to save this PR disaster.
Just a Delay
Microsoft are “doing an Apple” by saying they put privacy at the heart of everything they do but missing the point completely.
Microsoft’s back-peddling shows that their developers haven’t really considered all the implications of the software they are creating. Now Microsoft needs to spend more time putting the quality back into their software that should have been baked in from the beginning.
My Experience
When I’ve rushed software I’ve often been under the pressure of a product manager or arbitrary release. In the past that has meant that I just put in extra hours and tried to make it happen for the company.
I’ve learned this has caused problems, albeit not as bad as Microsoft putting the brakes on Recall.
I remember one time I rushed the development of a feature that needed to be released in time for Halloween (don’t ask). Not only was I late to a party because of the pressure to make the release, but also I shipped way too many bugs and needed to spend the next couple of days fixing them (which delayed another feature…don’t ask)_.
Nowadays I negotiate scope. I communicate early about when features are late or problematic. I don’t let myself get rushed for an arbitrary deadline — can we ship a smaller scoped feature properly rather than a larger feature we need to fix later, please?
Learnings
I hope that Microsoft learns its lessons from this attempt at pushing at software in time with its hardware in an apparently rushed fashion.
Here are the things I hope they learn:
Rushing Software Leads to Problems
Hasty software releases often result in incomplete features, bugs, and broken functionality. This is detrimental to user experience and company reputation.
Importance of Comprehensive Testing
Ensure software is thoroughly tested before release to prevent potential disasters, especially for features that deal with sensitive information.
Security Risks with Data Collection: Features that collect extensive user data, like continuous screenshotting, can pose significant security risks. Consider privacy and data protection from the outset.
User Consent is Crucial: Making invasive features opt-in rather than opt-out can mitigate backlash and ensure users are aware of what they are agreeing to.
Am I hoping for too much?
Conclusion
I’m really wondering why Microsoft are pressing on with this feature that it seems nobody want. Perhaps they came up with Recall because they don’t have the data that Android and iOS collect about users and Microsoft want a bite of the data cherry?
That would mean this is a consequence of Microsoft dropping the Windows phone. I wonder if they regret that now?