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Robert Scoble Interview
Thanks for stopping in for an interview; you are a busy guy and recently got back from SES NY where you hung out with Jeremy Zawodny from Yahoo and Matt Cutts from Google. Tell us about your exchange with these two fellahs and what your impressions are of them.
SCOBLE: They are both people I’ve been reading for a while and respect a lot. Smart. Funny. Interesting. We were on stage taking about the search engine industry. Matt was fun and made hints that he’d really like to see Google on IE 7’s search box. I told him I’d connect him with the IE team, which I did.
I have been watching old channel9 videos while riding my exercise bike and just saw that really cool “A Walk around Microsoft’s Forests” with Wild Bill Hill. I really enjoy this type of real life conversation with personalities at Microsoft, tell us about channel9 and when will you be having a long walk with Bill Gates? How about visiting his home and staying for the weekend? Would that be cool or what?
SCOBLE: It would be very cool, but Bill Gates’ personal life isn’t available to me because of security concerns. So, it’ll be hard to take a walk in the forest with him. I am hoping to do some more of these fun walks, though.
Your blog is the most active space I have ever seen and you are on top of things even while away on trips. It was amusing watching “A Walk to Ballmer’s Office”, in it I notice you are really into your gear. What kind of gadgets and software do you currently use to organize your stuff and keep on top of things when you are home or away from home? Will you be doing a mobile paperless office training sometime in the future?
SCOBLE: I usually carry my Tablet PC (a Toshiba M200) or my SmartPhone (a Cingular 2125) along with a camcorder (Panasonic PVG-S150) in my black backpack. Not much else is needed! I got a Verizon wireless card, though, that uses its cell network to get me on the Internet. That’s so cool because I never need to worry about finding Wifi spots anymore.
Some do not understand these PR spammers who visit your blog and accuse you of being an elitist. I also have never understood Microsoft haters in general, is this just part of working for a big company? Have you ever considered banning these people from commenting in your blog or would this restrict the “conversation” as you and Shel Israel call it?
SCOBLE: Yeah, I think it’s part of belonging to a big company and it’s also part of being popular. American culture loves to build people (or things) up and then tear them down. Heck, I root against the Yankees for the same reason.
Yeah, I have considered blocking comments. I think at this point, though, that the ongoing conversation is more valuable than the emotional pain from having people say mean things to me.
Shel Isreal recently commented in my blog when he noticed that I had linked to your book “Naked Conversations” and suggested I expand my “About” page and sign my posts. Can you email this question over to Shel and get him to answer this to include in this interview? I would also like to learn about your relationship with Shel and the book. Was Naked Conversations written for corporate America? What can an average person learn from it, should everyone have a blog?
SCOBLE: I’m sorry, I didn’t get this to Shel. But, Shel and I met a little more than a year ago because two of our friends, Buzz Bruggeman and Andy Ruff, thought we would make a good team. It has turned out an interesting product.
The entire book was done on a blog, which, in the end, made a far better book. Why? Because readers added to the book. They corrected little stuff, like typos, but also told us when we screwed up, or if there was a better example to use.
We interviewed more than 180 businesses about how they use blogging. We talked with everyone from a small coffee shop in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to an executive with General Motors. They told us how blogging had let them get better search rankings, get better feedback from their customers, and helped them get their ideas across better than dealing with the traditional media.
We also cover some best and worst practices. There’s a chapter in the book on how to get fired with a blog, for instance, and we interviewed many of those who’ve gotten fired to learn more too.
You were on KUOW radio recently and talked about your book and the “importance of not being a tireless sycophant”, do you really believe you are a sycophant? Do you have any regrets of things you have blogged about or done in the past?
SCOBLE: Nah, I try not to be. I try to be objective and keep my credibility. When I fail my readers let me know. Yeah, I have some regrets. Last week, for instance, I blogged angrily after a journalist totally got the story wrong about Windows Vista. I wish I hadn’t done that. But, even there, it shows how blogging works. If your readers don’t like what you’re doing they’ll let you know in no uncertain terms.
Let’s talk about “Naked Conversations”, you have expanded upon the conversation and generously link to competitors when they do something cool or useful while someone like Guy Kawasaki has a very well planned tight marketing strategy and does not link out as much. Guy is a marketing evangelist while you are more like the friendly guy who meets you at the door of a party and shows you around. Is this a correct assessment of your blogging style?
SCOBLE: Yeah, I try to be authoritative and passionate and take the customer’s point of view. That’s when I’m the most interesting and useful. I also try to show my readers something cool every day.
Those who are able to blog from home or work have their favorite places to visit in the morning to get the latest news to decide on what to write about.
Can you give us a list of URL’s that you visit and write a short description of why they are useful?
SCOBLE: I read more than 800 RSS feeds. Generally I start out reading email (I get a ton, and the hottest stuff will come in via email). Then I’ll check the “memetrackers” like Memeorandum or TailRank. Then I’ll visit a few of my favorite blogs. Like Dave Winer, Doc Searls, Slashdot. But I more am trying to read through my RSS lately.
I know you are one of us that sleep very little because you post at all hours to your blog, ever fall asleep at your desk? What’s the trick? Coffee or Passion?
SCOBLE: Heheh! Microsoft is powered by Starbucks! But, I do sleep, just at weird hours. I usually am too busy at work (walking around with a camcorder and doing other tasks keeps me awake).
Thanks for answering a few questions Robert, I believe that some out there do not understand you correctly and I hope this clears a few things up.
SCOBLE: Thanks, it was a lot of fun!
Extra Stuff
Naked: Funny Image
GapingVoid: The Jaws of Mediocrity
Credit: Image of Robert Scoble by wenxin
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March 30th, 2006 at 11:33 pm
Great piece, i myself was a “Semi-Microsoft” hater then after all the problems I kept having with other OS’s, I came to the conclusion that microsoft products are so poplar because they are good period..
March 31st, 2006 at 5:29 am
Nice work snapping that interview, Aaron!
March 31st, 2006 at 6:09 am
Yes indeed John, it was “work”, as you might know Robert is the most busy person on the web. Like a troll I had to keep reminding him to put my interview on top of his pile. :) Do you think I went too easy on him?
March 31st, 2006 at 6:43 am
Naw, you didn’t go too easy on him. :)
March 31st, 2006 at 8:54 am
Yes MS products are good thats not why most people hate them. Its the product treadmill they try to keep you on that sucks.
Nice interview Aaron.
March 31st, 2006 at 9:51 pm
Good interview, I enjoyed reading but you concentrated very little on the blogosphere
April 1st, 2006 at 9:11 am
Good interview, it is always good to get an insiders point of view.
April 2nd, 2006 at 3:54 pm
Good stuff as usual, Aaron. Not sure what else I can add to what others have already said…so…good stuff.
April 15th, 2006 at 5:58 pm
I’ve been away from the blog thing for a little while and found this while coming up for air. Awesome damn interview!
BTW, if you post this comment, I don’t care. If you delete it, I don’t care. I still like the interview.
April 15th, 2006 at 6:03 pm
You are always welcome in here Lee, if you don’t know this now you do! :)
April 15th, 2006 at 6:16 pm
Ha, just messing with you Aaron. :)
With so much noise out there (and that’s subjective) I always find something interesting on your blog. Well done.