Microsoft Coffee (microsoftcoffee.org)

Article summary

The article discusses a prank related to Microsoft Coffee, with the author providing SHA256 hashes to prove their identity without revealing it. The prank is referred to as the last one before PR ruined everything, and the story can be read on a Medium blog. The article does not reveal the secrets behind the prank, but rather provides a way to verify the author's identity if the secrets are revealed in the future. The story is a nostalgic look back at a time when Microsoft had a reputation as an imitator rather than an innovator.

Main themes

• Microsoft's reputation and products
• tech industry hype and reliability
• corporate culture and PR
• innovation and risk-taking
• nostalgia and the early days of the internet
• language and communication ambiguity
• company evolution and growth
• government contracts and competition

What commenters say

• Microsoft's current reputation and products are underrated and deserve more recognition.
• The tech industry is overly driven by hype and neglects companies that provide reliable products and services.
• The company's ability to secure government contracts, such as the HoloLens deal with the Pentagon, is a significant advantage over its competitors.
• Corporate April Fools' pranks are often awkward and should be stopped, as they can be seen as trying too hard to be funny or relatable.
• The prank discussed in the article is a nostalgic reminder of the early days of the internet and the trolling that used to occur.
• Some companies, like Microsoft, have become too risk-averse and are no longer able to have fun or be innovative due to PR involvement.
• The evolution of human language and communication can lead to ambiguity and misinterpretation, especially in online mediums.
• The current state of Microsoft is compared to the white dwarf phase of a company, where it coasts on its existing products and services without innovating or taking risks.