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March 26, 2006
If I were Scoble
If I were Scoble: Microsoft blogger Robert Scoble handled the "60% Vista rewrite" rumor ad-hominem ("credible vs non-credible journalists"), instead of ad-rem ("what are the facts, how can we learn more?"). For professional practice I put myself in Robert's shoes, tried a draft at how I would have handled it.... "David Wright writes in Smarthouse [link] "60% Of Windows Vista Code To Be Rewritten". This surprises me -- it's counter to what I'm seeing with my own eyes, opposite of what I'm hearing inside the shop. I'm not sure how David reaches that conclusion -- the best sourcing he offers is "a Microsoft insider has confirmed...". David also includes what appears to be a memo from Windows VP Kevin Johnson, [which I'd confirm if I saw or publicly remain agnostic if not]. But the only evidence for the startling headline I see is an unsourced single-speaker rumor -- the "60%" comes up only in the headline and the first line -- hard to figure out how that headline was reached. I'm highlighting the issue here because David's article is in the news and you may get questions about it. Please drop a comment here if you see any other meaningful links about it. (I'm not interesting in debating the implications if that story *were* true, I'm just trying to learn what David has seen that leads him to assert that that *is* true.) More as it comes... thanks in advance for any leads in sourcing/proofing this story." That's how I'd do it... more interested in figuring which facts and reasonings are credible and which are non-credible, less interested in which people are credible and which people are non-credible, guess that's the main distinction. (I got interested in how I'd phrase it after I saw the negative effect in places like Investor Relations Blog.)
Posted by John Dowdell at March 26, 2006 02:16 PM
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But I sounded sort of sleepy-Sunday-afternoon-listening-to-the-ballgame up above... if I were actually just coming back from a long road trip, with other unsettling company news that week, and if I felt like this published rumor crept up on me and got big before I hit the browsers, then my tone would likely be sharper than that rather placid example text I've got up above.
Posted by: John Dowdell at March 26, 2006 02:51 PM
But that's pretty close to your usual style JD. (You might use fewer weasel words in a more spur of the moment reaction.) Still, your blog is an interesting study in how to be an employee blogger--as is Scoble's. Walking the line between having your own voice (else why have a blog in the first place?) and still representing the organization is one that lots of employee bloggers face.
Posted by: Kim C. at March 27, 2006 04:06 AM