Microsoft MVP creates site to remind you of all the brands Redmond replaced

If you’re struggling to stay up to date with Redmond’s regular product re-branding exercises, here’s the site for you: The Microsoft Rebrand Registry. Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Loryan Strant created the site because he thinks it’s a valuable resource, and also in the hope it makes visitors “chuckle.” Readers may …

[Always Right Mostly]

Thank you!

Literally a day doesn’t go by that I’m not bitching about what the name for something is that I’m looking for and where they might’ve hidden it. I haven’t checked it out yet, but it’s top of list for when I get down to work later.

[Paul Herber]

Re: Thank you!

You've got 7 patches to apply first, but then you could try Skypeing a chum and ask them where the thing has moved to.

It's amazing how often you still see references to ICQ numbers and Skype usernames, especially in online forums. How many businesses would give their employees' right arms for a market position like that, only to go and drop it for whatever reason.

[Dan 55]

Re: Thank you!

There was nothing like Skype for ease of use, so of course Microsoft had to set about making it terrible it over years as only they know how. By the time the pandemic arrived it couldn't do group video calls without horrific feedback through everyone's speakers, which was a good a reason as any for everyone to drop it and switch to Zoom.

[Fred Daggy]

Re: Funk you very much

It was ever so.

A product was thought of and lead by a single engineer/small group of likeminded engineers. You know what, mostly following the lines of "do one thing and do it well". Well, by hook or by crook, it became a success. THEN, it was taken over by a marketing committee and engineers were relegated to bit players.

At that point, the enshittification began. Of course, it wasn't know by that at the time, it was more "design by committee". But the effect is the same. "Add integrate latest fad technology, whether it was useful or not", "Change the name", "Hide the useful options in the name of 'efficiency' ", "Re-write in another language and/or framework, which was never faster nor more secure". For more modern changes "Must have social media account to use", "Stops working unless on a subscription", "Tracks user and reports invasive telemetry", "Removes discoverability" and, the ultimate in design and a sign they have enshittified to perfection "Light grey text on slightly grey background and no option to change it".

Peak WIndows was Windows 2000, last service pack. (SP4?) That's a hill I'm prepared to die of alcohol poisoning while having a nice BBQ and reading a good book on.

[David Hicklin]

Re: Funk you very much

> Peak WIndows was Windows 2000, last service pack. (SP4?) That's a hill I'm prepared to die of alcohol poisoning while having a nice BBQ and reading a good book on

I will cut them a bit of slack and say windows 7 but agree it has been downhill all the way since then, and at the bottom there is waiting as Linux or Mac future

[Lexi Ryedale]

Pascal, not Camel

PowerPoint is Pascal Case, not Camel Case. In Camel Case it would be powerPoint.

Perhaps the cases should skip their spaces and become PascalCase and camelCase...

[David 132]

Re: Pascal, not Camel

I often use WhoopsCapsLock Case, which would render it as "pOWERpOINT".

[sedregj]

Re: Pascal, not Camel

That's dromedary case. You need two humps for a camel.

[xyz]

Re: Pascal, not Camel

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I thought I'd gone Gaga so kept quiet.

[Jou (Mxyzptlk)]

I'm going to MECM you

SCCM, for replacing SCM and replacing (what? Forgot the former former former former.....).

Luckily my cow-ork(er)s have to fight that client stuff. Don't envy them.

[AMBxx]

Re: I'm going to MECM you

I'll raise you to Windows DNA: https://news.microsoft.com/source/1999/09/13/microsoft-announces-windows-dna-2000/

A long list of who knows what!

[Jou (Mxyzptlk)]

Re: I'm going to MECM you

Woah, first In though "sounds like active desktop?", but then it looks like it ended up being Windows Server 2000 Small Business Server? I installed it once (actually reinstalled, since our in-house techs didn't do it right and thought they can skip steps...). My boss was a bit unhappy about my reinstall, but there was nothing he could do since the install (well, HIS install) was done wrong.

[AMBxx]

Re: I'm going to MECM you

Not sure. I remember the DNA stuff being something to do with Visual Studio. Not sure where this bit came from!

SBS was a great product until you came to upgrade, migrate or try and fix something that was broken.

What could go wrong with a limit of a single domain controller, then Exchange, SQL Server and (IIRC) SharePoint all on one box. Unless it was forward planning to make cloud look more appealing.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: I'm going to MECM you

I thought MECM was now known as MCM?

[Jou (Mxyzptlk)]

Re: I'm going to MECM you

Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager

But you are right, they renamed it again... Kicked the "Endpoint".

[Anonymous Coward]

Blocked for me...

If I try and access the link, I get a nice warning page from NCSC saying that this site may be associated with malicious activity or malware - and then in very large font "Access to this site has been blocked by the Protective DNS Service"...

Someone doesn't like it....

[bigphil9009]

Is that the right link

Seems to be a domain parking site...

[David Hicklin]

Re: Is that the right link

It works for me (using FF)

[ecofeco]

Good for him!

Honestly. Much respect.

This is one of the hardest parts of supporting M$ environments: the goddamn forever name changes.

[Michael Strorm]

Re: Good for him!

As I've said before, their insistence on continual name changes- with the result that you end up with several different names for the same product/technology- has been one of the definining characteristics of MS's marketing going back literally decades.

The other is its (arguably worse) converse- their reuse of the *same* name or brand across several technologically distinct products (e.g. the "Outlook" brand).

Then they mix and match both of these for maximum confusion (such as "Skype for Business" which was formerly known as "Microsoft Lync" and was a completely different product to the consumer version of "Skype").

[Anonymous Coward]

Forefront?

Is there a limit to how far back this site goes because I don't see any mention of forefront and its aliases

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Forefront_Threat_Management_Gateway

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Forefront

[Adrian Harvey]

Re: Forefront?

SMS (System Management Server) is missing from the history too.... badly designed product, and its immediate successors were no better. I understand the most recent ones bear little resemblance. Fortunately.

[RussT]

Re: Forefront?

I recall amusement as Wally Mead, steadfastly referred to it as SMS, throughout the whole Tech Demo at the EU launch the first rebrand. I think this was at MS ITFORUM 2003 but my memory is a bit hazy.

[Piro]

Re: Forefront?

Windows defender renames are sparsely documented, too, it used to be security essentials

[AtomicDog]

Microsoft: Jack of all trades...

...and a master of absolutely none.

What a ridiculous product portfolio of utter dross, which is doubtless used to further entrench their insanely anti-competitive position, even though most of it doesn't play nicely together.

[Fruit and Nutcase]

Most Valuable Professional (MVP)

The MVP role has escaped being renamed over the decades.

[Paul Herber]

Re: Most Valuable Professional (MVP)

That would give away the game that they are no longer valued in quite the same way.

[Anonymous Coward]

How far can this go?

When does Windows become BrokenWindows?

OK, I'll fetch my coat.

[Paul Herber]

Re: How far can this go?

When a Shared Drive becomes a Shard Drive.

[Cruachan]

This will be useful, the youngsters in the office had no idea what I was talking about the other day when I mentioned Terminal Servers (Renamed Remote Desktop Servers last I checked)

[trevorde]

We want more!

* Google products (dead, alive and renamed)

* AWS (names seem to change every week!)

* Apple

[Old Shoes]

Re: We want more!

For Google, checked out Killed by Google:

https://killedbygoogle.com/

[David G from Visalia]

Renames, man....

For a long time, I've thought the clearest indicator of dysfunctional management is learning of a product or organization name change. Ditto logo change. Ditto mission statement change.

"What ideas do we have?" "How about renaming the <whatever>?" <---- clearest indicator that this person is bored and (somewhat) dangerous.

These renames cost money and time and do absolutely nothing good for the customers trying to find the thing. So if some staffer is asked what ideas they have for improving things, and this is all they can come up with, that staffer should be let go.