The "Blue Screen of Death" is probably the most ominous thing that can happen to a PC user. Apparently, the text that caused a million headache was authored by the always eccentric Steve Ballmer, former Microsoft CEO and new Los Angeles Clippers owner.
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Ballmer created the bad news screen back when he was the head of the Systems Division, according to a post on the Microsoft Developers Network blog. A designer showed Ballmer the screen that would show up when a user tapped Ctrl + Alt + Del in Windows 3.1.
"This is nice, but I don't like the text of the message," Ballmer told the developer. "It doesn't sound right to me."
Used to scaring off executives with threatening actual work, the developer wasn't thrilled with the criticism.
"Okay, Steve," the developer responded. "If you think you can do a better job, then go for it."
Ballmer went to work on the text, and it pleased everyone else enough that the team essentially put it in word for word.
Ballmer worked with Microsoft for 35 years, where he rose to the level of CEO last decade. His term was marred by significant slippage and an inability to break into new marketplaces, like smartphones, causing his departure last year. Last month, he wrote that he was leaving the board of directors following his purchase of the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team for $2 billion.
