Scobleizer - Latest Comments in Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

Jon Heupel — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 15:55:12 -0000

"The main point of our speech at MS was around their need to develop more personality as they evolve. Feature and function superiority alone won’t cut it in a world craving humanity, meaning, candor, simplicity and authenticity"

Aren't you behind here? It seems like you are advocating them doing what they have been doing for over a year or so. Isn't microsoft's push to msdn blogs, channel9 and other moves lately already make it obvious that this was planned strategy by MS to soften their image after all the monopoly talk over IE vs Netscape finished up?

I don't disagree with you but I think Scoble is the direct result of a company initiative not the seeds of a new one. I'm not so sure they intended one person to become almost like a PR guy for uber nerds but I do think overall he was planned in general.

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

interstar — Wed, 02 Nov 2005 09:45:21 -0000

Robert, not really criticising. I didn't think you'd delete it, so probably just some technical glitch. I wonder if you have a spam filter that takes out comments with too many URLs?

Anyway, Fugere's responses here seems to back up my assertion that Fight the Bull are positioning themselves as "the Conservative Cluetrain"

http://platformwars.blogspo...

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

Brian Fugere — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 20:13:12 -0000

As the notorious author who ripped Scoble during a recent speech at Microsoft, it’s been interesting to watch the conversation unfurl. After extricating my size 9 ½ Nikes from their resting spot deep inside my oral cavity, I’ve had time to do some research (OK, OK – this should have come before my comments, not after). My real interest is not whether Scoble is a good guy (he is), whether he’s technically credible (he is), or whether he wears boxers or briefs (too much information). What I really care about is whether or not he’s actually good for Microsoft.

Let me start off with what’s not so good for Microsoft. One of my major issues is that sometimes it doesn’t make a lot of sense to air Microsoft dirty laundry in public. Sometimes, it’s better to keep things in the family, and Scoble (IMHO) has occasionally crossed the line here.

Scoble, you responded to this issue by referencing the recent Six Apart public apology for issues they were having. Agree – the Six Apart apology was a good thing for them to do. But the apology came from its founder and president. This represented the official view of the company, coming straight from the founder’s mouth. It didn’t come from a “technical evangelist” or some other random employee. The problem is when technical evangelists get themselves confused with founders and CEO’s. So when Scoble rails against MS for their anti-discrimination policy (for example), he’s a rogue voice (regardless of how you feel about the issue) who happens to have an oversized megaphone. Like a union organizer, he invites sympathetic voices to join him in his proletariat march. There are plenty of outsiders who will kindly do that for you, free of charge! I’m as new age as they come when it comes to corporate conversations, but no amount of dope from the Cluetrain pipe will convince me that this type of public issue mongering is good for any company. Sensitive issues sometimes need to stay at the family dinner table. It’s hard for me to see how backing leadership into a corner and forcing them to debate delicate internal issues in public is a good thing for MS. Scoble has created huge stature for himself, and with that stature comes a responsibility to, well, be responsible.

The tough thing for Scoble to do, and he seems to be doing it exceptionally well, is to walk the very fine line between constructive critique and destructive criticism. I worry that his credibility is somewhat reliant on his willingness to be critical – that creates some warped incentives. But Scoble seems to be very very skillful at navigating that narrow balance beam.

Having said all that, I looked at the impact of Scoble overall. When viewed in the aggregate, I must admit that what he is doing is good for the company. The main point of our speech at MS was around their need to develop more personality as they evolve. Feature and function superiority alone won’t cut it in a world craving humanity, meaning, candor, simplicity and authenticity. In a way, that actually describes what Scoble is all about. He has put a more human face on MS, and his straightforward and authentic voice seems to be changing conversations and attitudes at MS. He pushes the company to raise the bar with its products, but does so in a way that is positive. It is still unfolding, and much of what makes it work is Scoble’s personal prowess at doing what he does. So overall, I was wrong about his impact on Microsoft. It’s pretty clear that he is having a positive influence not only with the outside world, but perhaps more importantly inside MS.

As Yogi Berra so eloquently put it, I made a wrong mistake.

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

scobleizer — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 19:59:48 -0000

Phil: I don't delete comments, not sure what happened.

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

interstar — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 12:07:19 -0000

Strange, did you just delete my comment, Robert? Did I do something wrong? (Confused)

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

zenosox — Sun, 30 Oct 2005 11:50:41 -0000

Nietzsche once said "truths are but lies we agree to recite to each other." Quoting the Cluetrain does not mean you really understand it. Robert, never apologize for being part of the conversation.

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

scobleizer — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 05:56:38 -0000

It's a Saturday, no less.

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

scobleizer — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 05:55:50 -0000

Truthteller: I only blog at nights and weekends. My day job is Channel 9. JW: if you don't think what I do is work, why don't you try doing it sometime? I am answering email, being here for customers, connecting people, writing strategy, and doing a lot more too. Oh, and it's 2:54 a.m. and I'm giving two speeches later today at the Blog Business Summit too.

Yeah, it is extremely gratifying work. It isn't doing roofing in 110 degree heat. I'm having a ball. But it isn't easy. If you think it is, I'd be happy to fly you here for a couple of days and see how well you do at it.

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

Jet — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 04:48:15 -0000

Who cares?

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

jw — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:18:11 -0000

Robert, can we see your job description? I think there's a good pt about what microsoft pays you to do. I mean, it seems like a pretty good gig to be able to just get up in the morning and post whatever you feel like. the rest of us have to work for a living.

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

truthteller — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 02:02:44 -0000

Isn't it obvious?? Scoble is all about Scoble. God only knows what his job is other than to promote himself. I mean look at the entries. I met this CEo, this important dude, that star, got invited to this conference, spoke at this meeting, ad nauseum. GAG ME!! Every once in a while he writes something negative about MS to get attention, keep his street cred up, and make it impossible for MS to fire him.

I think Channel 9 is a step in the rite direction toward a real job. That does a human face on stuff at MS. So I guess I would only cut his salary in half.

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

Fourputtinski — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 20:51:16 -0000

Let's start a "Save Scoble" fund drive and then donate the proceeds to your favorite charity.

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

Thomas — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 16:54:11 -0000

I'd love for Microsoft to fire Scoble, then as a Mac User I can give up any thought of freely buying an MS product again. As long as that scoundral Scoble works there I can't deny the possibility, darn him! :-)

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

shaitan — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 16:32:57 -0000

And I've always thought you were the apologist for MS and Defender of the Faith regarding the horible tablet pc. I guess it depends on what side you are being view from. This guy must have the sun in his eyes.

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

Todd Dailey — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 15:51:10 -0000

I'm with Kevin.

Fire Scoble! :)

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

Randy Charles Morin — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 14:56:54 -0000

>Maybe I should start a Web site: Fire Scoble or not.

This could be the start of the Web2.0 social application. Fire xxx or not. Maybe we can cook this up in Ning.

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

Kevin Burton — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 14:48:28 -0000

I hope they DO fire you so you can go work for Apple and use your powers for good instead of evil :-)

Kevin

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

TDavid — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 14:37:47 -0000

Microsoft already pays people to be critical of their products. I'm sure execs listening to this said: "hasn't this guy ever heard about our usability testing?"

One of the first things they tell you is: "we aren't judging you, only what you say, so go ahead and be as critical as you like."

What Scoble is doing at his blog is just an extension of this type of testing that Microsoft already believes in and has been doing for quite some time.

Also, anybody that hasn't checked out the ton of videos Scoble has shot and published over at Channel 9 and is solely judging his value by what he says on his blog isn't being very thorough. He's done some exciting work over at Channel 9. He has said repeatedly that this blog isn't his job though he certainly uses it from time to time to pimp his employer.

I will admit though that some of Scoble's blog posts and comments are very contradictory. That's annoying as a reader and I wish he'd work on being a little more consistent, but that's just one reader's complaint, as I'm sure plenty of others enjoy his waffling on some things.

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

/pd — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 14:21:29 -0000

oh brain...while reading you might was well see Scobles ranking in terms of PR :)--

my old cull is here..
http://peterdawson.typepad....

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

/pd — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 14:18:57 -0000

Brain: "self absorption and narcissism " ..then it takes one to recongize one ..and whats good for the goose should be for the gander too !! :)-

Its so unfortune that you still have one foot in your mouth when commenting here !! Can you take it out before your next comments ?? any Hoot do you have u read this somewhere

"Scobles in Siberia ?? Yes, I nearly fall of my chair laughing. Its so wierd, but so beliveably true!! This is what Blogsphere is all about.

"When Ted Demopoulos, principal of Demopoulos Associates, an information technology consulting company, was traveling in Russia recently, he stopped in Surgut, Siberia, where he was surprised to find Scoble fans. "I'm out in the middle of nowhere and they ask me about Scoble," says Demopoulos. "To them, Scoble is the voice of Microsoft.""

geeee.. get a life Brain !!!

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

Evan Erwin — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 14:13:41 -0000

Bah, this guy is an idiot. Worry not Scobes (can I call ya Scobes? Thanks), I think you'll be growing old, holding that blog torch as long as your fingers can grasp it.

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

scobleizer — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 13:09:41 -0000

Andrew: I do the video blog at http://channel9.msdn.com

Last month it had 2.7 million unique visitors.

My bosses are VERY happy with that. And, yesterday I was pitched by executives by some very big companies who want the same thing at their companies. Don't worry, though, I ain't leaving!

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

Andrew — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 13:01:09 -0000

While i dont necessarily say you should be fired. I do wonder - do you do any actual work that is of a benefit to microsoft? Sure, i love your blog, and i love the insight, but do you really do anything all day long becides blog?

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

Budi — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 12:50:38 -0000

Think Different, Robert. Go to Apple :)

Re: Scoble should be fired, author tells Microsoft

Matt Gerlach — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 12:39:25 -0000

Ive been reading you for about a year. Most of the "negative" things you say, are meant for positive purposes. Like calling out a product group's webpage, for lack of an RSS feed.