I've lived for the past few years in total, abject, fear of hotfixes.

That's only because I've spent nearly an hour on the phone before waiting (after giving out a CC# - that wasn't charged) just to get one before.

But that was then.

Today I NEEDED a hotfix. MS needs to be slapped for not just giving you a number to call on their KB articles/links (seriously, go click the support link in that page...after 3 pages and trying to figure out who/what you are... you'll give up).

Since I couldn't find a good number to call, I just called MS' 1 800 number. The menu-ing system actually worked, and went something lik

... if you want support, press 2... .
... if you are a developer, press 3....
... if you would like a hotfix, press 1 (or 2.. can't remember)....

Then, like that I was connected. They just needed my first and last name, a phone number (in case we got cut off) and an email address. Then they needed the KB #. A brief warning about the nature of HotFixes (if you haven't pulled one down before), then they waited on the phone until the fix showed up in my email.

IMPRESSIVE. The whole thing took less than 7 minutes.