Ask Paul: August 23 (Premium) (Updated)

UPDATE: The Microsoft Authenticator question has an updated answer. --Paul

Happy Friday! Here’s a late summer edition of Ask Paul to kick off another weekend.
Programming Windows
Dan1986ist asks

Any plans to eventually turn your Programming Windows series of articles into a book?

Yes. We were just discussing that last week, actually. No word yet on timing, since it’s ongoing series and I’m probably not even to the halfway point yet. Given the expected length, it could possibly be split into two versions (I’m guessing the arrival of .NET will be roughly right in the middle). Or maybe it could be like the Windows 10 Field Guide where I’ll just add to the book as it goes. We’ll see.

On a related note, I’ve also decided to give the current version of the Windows 10 Field Guide (covering versions 1903 and 19H2) away for free to Thurrott Premium members. I’ll let you know when that is happening, as we have a few details to work out.

MarkWibaux adds:

Could we get a link under the "Premium Content" menu that took you to a page with all the links to the articles, as that would make things a little simpler to find them all. Like the "Beneath a Surface Commentary" link.

Yes. Great idea, thanks.

There is now a Programming Windows link under Premium Content and a Programming Windows (Premium) link under Windows 10 in the site menu.
Windows product vision
will asks:

After the FRD earlier this week when there was a spirited editorial on the Windows icons with Windows 10 it got me thinking about a meeting I was in recently. It was a leadership discussion and topic of vision came up, specifically that if have not communicated vision to those that follow you, you are not a leader. You may have great ideas, or even goals, but if you do not communicate those to others that follow you how do you expect them to support where you are going? I think this applies to Microsoft and specifically Windows. Does anyone really have any idea where they are going? We only find out when something gets discovered in a build or if they post something.

There is no leadership of Windows at all now. This is the problem with the post-Terry Microsoft, where responsibility for the product is split between two groups that couldn’t be further apart: Azure, which oversees the kernel/foundation/technical stuff and a user experience team under Microsoft 365 that adds/refines features. This tells us that there will be no fundamental changes to Windows at all, which is fine, as it’s a mature product, etc.

But the user experience team is a huge problem. It’s comprised of B-teamers, some of the same people who were responsible for all the nonsense features that marred previous Windows 10 upgrades. Everything that is wrong with Windows 10---the haphazard application of Fluent design and icons, and so on---comes from this team and their demented view of how to move Windows forward.

As for the communication issue you raise, I’ve ...