Shawn Bruke [0] talks about how shipping software is hard. Well, duh. [:D] Seriously, this is a really good post and while it's more about Visual Studio in general, it's important to note that Team Foundation Server (TFS) was alwasy a cycle behind the core product, hence the release of a Beta 3 build.
Having been a beta tester for Microsoft for over twelve years it’s been great to see Microsoft opening up the process. In fact, in the “good old days”, there were many times you just got a “by design” in the Compuserve forum and that was that. With Ladybug [1], anyone can be an active member of the team. Just remember, working close to the factory isn't always plesent.
The last two years we've been working closely with Microsoft on Yukon and Whidbey, working on documentation, hands-on labs, and other projects. This sometimes required pulling new builds, sometimes adding bits from a private branch, for the projects we at MCW were working on. At times, it’s a bit much to really see how the sausage is made. But it’s very clear to me that everyone in the SQL BU and DevDiv, really do want to ship a great set of products and I think they just will do that.
November 7 and beyond—can’t wait.
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[0] http://www.shawnburke.com/default.aspx?document=264
[1] http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/productfeedback/default.aspx