And, of course, MS kinda sorta does exactly that, by pushing it on the user base. All he's asking is that if MS starts to get widespread reports of problems with a particular app, that they note that on their web site (where it will be found!) as a known compatibility issue.

With respect to earlier postings, while it's true that MS can't be expected to test with all the software people might use, nor can software vendors be expected to test with MS patches that don't even exist yet.

Ultimately, there are things that both sides can do to avoid headaches.

Software vendors can code to the specifications and APIs, avoiding doing anything dodgy (say, as an optimization) or using undocumented protocols.

MS, meanwhile, can a) document all such APIs and specifications clearly, and b) not break compatibility with them with a patch or service pack unless it's absolutely necessary to plug a security hole.