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A SharePoint Repair

Recently, we told you about an unpatched SharePoint 2007 SP2 problem. The Microsoft patch army took the field and there's now a fix.

Here's what I find odd about SharePoint. The product is presumably hot; I believe Microsoft has sold over 100 million licenses and cool third parties are coming out of the woodwork. But I've asked several times how you use SharePoint and what you like or don't like, and while I got 40 e-mails about Robert Clary from "Hogan's Heroes," I don't think I've gotten any on SharePoint.

Is SharePoint the big deal I think it is, or am I a victim of Microsoft's cruelly efficient marketing machine? You tell me at dbarney@redmondmag.com.

Posted by Doug Barney on 06/29/2009 at 12:05 PM


Reader Comments:

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 North Carolina

It seems that Microsoft wants us to believe that Sharepoint is "all things for all people", but to me it is a complicated and difficult method to complete simple tasks.

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 Rex Washington, DC

SharePoint is designed to be an end-user product and it succeeds at that much better than people understand for awhile. First you have to communicate to users that it is a document library and list-based product and then how to use and create views that are combined to make sites and pages. Once that hurtle is understood, the possibilites are huge. I love it.

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 Bruce OKC

We are too busy rolling out and support our SharePoint sites to write emails and tell you about it...SharePoint is great!

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 Sharon Seattle

We've used SharePoint in multiple companies I've worked for. The two keys to success: 1) Understand what it's good at and stick to that. Don't expect to do much easy customization (as in compiled code changes). 2) Install and use it exactly as it was intended. If you try to use a "feature" to get around something you don't like, you'll only run into headaches. SharePoint is fantastically good at what it was designed to do: produce a content site that can be edited or administered with very little web knowledge. Can't wait for 10 to come out - awesome new features!

Mon, Jun 29, 2009

I've been developing a SharePoint solution for more than a year now, and I curse it nearly ever day. I have nearly 12 solid years of real world development experience... I LOVE writing software.. it's my job AND my hobby. It's a passion. But making SharePoint do my bidding is ridiculous. I don't for a minute believe it is what Microsoft says it is.

Mon, Jun 29, 2009 George Spokane, WA

Hi Doug,
We have used Sharepoint for several years now as a part of Small Business Server. It works o.k., but my biggest complaint is that it's administration interface is not intuitive. I'm sure this next item would happen with just about anything, but when employees are added or deleted, all of the sites require updating. Since there is no overall "map" of who gets what, these need to be examined individually and changes made to each site. Tedious process.

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