Scoble the tiresome sycophant strikes again

by on February 28, 2006

I get the Channel 9 guy into the picture with Matt Cutts of Google. I bet that’ll get him razzed in the office next week. Matt wrote up the panel discussion we were on together on his blog. Tim Stay has even more complete notes.

I was on KUOW radio tonight (that is the local public radio station and the show I was on is their business and technology show — The Works with John Moe). Fun show. You can listen (Real Networks required). I talked about my book and about the importance of NOT being a tireless sycophant.

So, who called me a sycophant? That’s Declan Kennedy. He gave me, and Microsoft major s**t for not supporting Web standards and generally, well, being evil. Says “Try turning up to actually confront a blogger about the problems inherent in their company’s approach to the computing industry, and you’ll more than likely just get shouted down.”

Hmm, not my experience at all. What did I do? I emailed the team that did the Mix contest and said “fix the code.”

But what do I know? I’m just a tiresome sycophant.

More work to do.

  • met
    Did you mean "sycophant" or are you making up a new word for the person that you are :)
  • Nah, I just can't spell. Heheh.
  • Hey, Scoble! Nice of you to drop by. Sorry about the sycophant line, bad day.

    Microsoft isn't evil, I know that. Some of the choices the company has made in the past haven't really been good for everyone in web land, that's all. And I get worried when I see a competition which is intended to demonstrate a belief in web standards and cooperation where the template being used doesn't pass the first test of compliance.

    Hey, I'm probably just being pessimistic. I can't wait to give IE7 a blast and see what's what.

    Cheers!
  • Any word back from the MIX web team yet?

    I like some of the submitted designs, people have obviously put the effort in. Shows what having a $2000 prize can bring out of the woodwork...

    How about Microsoft offering up some goodies for CSS Zen Garden entries as a thank you gesture for borrowing the idea? (Hey, not that they need prizes to get great work submitted)
  • MJ
    "Hmm, not my experience at all. What did I do? I emailed the team that did the Mix contest and said “fix the code.”

    But what do I know? I’m just a tiresome sycophant."

    Well, it makes you a mouthpiece. Sure, you get to absolve responsibility by saying "sure, I emailed a senior manager with a demand that he fix the code" but we see no follow through.

    I don't think you're a sycophant but your salary justifies your passion.
  • Robert,

    If you want the full size image of Matt w/ the Channel9 guy, shoot me an email and I'll reply with it attached. Thanks for coming out for the enent!
  • Are you a "tireless" or "tiresome" sycophant. If you can choose, I would suggest tireless.

    Hey, I read the first chapter of "Naked Conversations" this morning (and Tom Peter's very original, blogish forward) and really liked it. I don't know the (real) Microsoft story that well and so I was fascinated to hear about Josh Allen's motivation for being the first Microsoft blogger. He got all Rosa Parks on you guys. Very cool.
  • RobertS: I have a feeling that you wanna get hired by Google, is that true?
  • anon
    Speaking of standards, Robert, what happened to channel9 providing its videos in a standards compliant format (mp4, for example) instead of the proprietary wmv?
  • Comic: do I get a Kai Fu Lee package? ;-)

    Justin: not yet, but I just got back from New York and haven't had chance to check in yet.

    Anon: we're working on it. It's a daunting task. I don't have enough time or resources to do it. But, a sister team is working on it. Might have more on Monday.
  • Goebbels
    Scoble, I could set up a real (not the company; I mean not crap WM products) streaming media server for you in a couple of hours if you'd like.
  • Tim
    Robert, i listened to your The Works session on my PocketPC on the way home tonight. On MP3 format, as a podcast (no RealNetworks required). I use iPodder and usually The Works comes in just fine.

    just thought you might be interested to know there are other alternatives to Real (i hate their spam and ads in the player).
  • Goebbels: congratulations. I could too. But, would it be a cluster of them? Would they be professionally maintained and backed up? In a world-class data center? Could they keep up with the loads of thousands of people downloading 300MB files every day? Would it be free? (My group doesn't pay for any of this cause someone inside Microsoft does already).
  • Hey Scoble, after your radio appearance I asked you a question on my blog - (http://brh.numbera.com/blog/index.php/2006/02/2...) and I was hoping the magic of Technorati and the "conversational" nature of blogging would have you notice it. But anyway, just letting you know in case you hadn't seen it. I'd really be interested to hear your opinion on the point I make about Apple getting perfect press despite not blogging.
  • I always wonder why people call Microsoft as 'evil'.

    For me, Microsoft is a great company and so are its' employees.

    Mr. Scoble you are inspiration to many. Hats off! to you.

    Rohit Aggarwal
  • Goebbels
    "But, would it be a cluster of them?"

    Give me a week.

    "Would they be professionally maintained and backed up?"

    Yes, if you hire professionals. Seems like you are insisting that MS gets to have ignorant do-nothings.

    "In a world-class data center?"

    Sure.

    "Could they keep up with the loads of thousands of people downloading 300MB files every day?"

    Sure.

    "Would it be free? (My group doesn’t pay for any of this cause someone inside Microsoft does already)."

    No, but nothing is; even your existing services cost you something. Just because MS likes to play tricks with marketing and operational costs doesn't make it free.
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