Yesterday, I wrote about the news spreading through the blogosphere that Microsoft could release Windows 8 in 2012. That information came from the blog Microsoft Kitchen, which posted a pair of road map slides--allegedly shown by Microsoft during its Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles--suggesting the next Windows Server and Windows 8 would be released on that date.

I also mentioned how rumors of Windows 8 development had been building for some time. I cited how, back in October, a LinkedIn page for one Robert Morgan, "senior member of Microsoft's Research & Development team," stated that his current projects included "128-bit architecture compatibility with the Windows 8 kernel and the Windows 9 project plan."

That LinkedIn page was linked to by several blogs, which proclaimed it something of a Smoking Gun. Following that burst of news, the LinkedIn page itself was taken down.

I reached out to Microsoft Nov. 24 to see whether Robert Morgan is (or was) actually a senior member of Microsoft's Research & Development team. A spokesperson came back with: "Microsoft has no comment regarding Robert Morgan."

I personally don't think the guy exists, which would make the LinkedIn page a fake; as a handful of comments to my blog post yesterday suggested, trying to build a 128-bit architecture within three years for a new operating system release would be something of a quixotic endeavor, especially considering how mainstream processors at this time are firmly centered in the world of 64-bit.

But if "Robert Morgan" does just happen to be real, he knows where to find me.