Today I felt the need to pay some attention to a development I am not completely sure about how to deal with …
About 2 weeks ago the website Emailbattles.com published an article which featured one of my posts about Exchange. The article centered around a post by Richard Schwartz on marketshares.
Today I noticed yet another post : Data from heaven: Exchange & Domino debate scalability.
“Sales gurus Ed Brill (Lotus) and Peter de Haas (Microsoft) are duking it out over scalability of the Domino vs Exchange. Each is trotting out his best studies to support his claims. And each ably demonstrates why the others’ research is garbage.”
What I am not sure about is how I should deal with making comments on other peoples blogs which at any moment can be taken out of context and make people read more into this than I intended. This is the case in my opinion in some of emailbattles’ posts. Posts and comments are turned into an IBM vs Microsoft “battle” whereas I see it, it is a discussion between a whole bunch of bloggers some of which happen to work for a software company.
(I am not saying emailbattles does the wrong thing and what I also read into their posts is that they welcome this kind of discussion (or this is my wishful thinking :-))
Sure I work for Microsoft, but like the disclaimer on my weblog states I blog and comment as a private person who happens to work for Microsoft. From that perspective I give my (very) biased opinion and try to put forward information to the best of my abilities. I do not communicate on behalf of Microsoft, for the simple reason I am not an official spokesperson, nor am I necessarily a specialist in certain area’s.
The reason I comment on other peoples blogs is the fact that I want to provide (additional) context to the story / show the other side of the story by sharing information and insight that is publicly available but not necessarily know to the broader / specific audience and yes I do this with a Microsoft biased perspective, because this is what I know.
I am just wondering how other bloggers deal with this. At the end of the day it is undoable to chase posts and give comments to exch and everyone of them …
@Peter. You are welcome on Email Battles, as a knowledgeable participant, whether Microsoft employee or private citizen.
Folks often suspect that some researchers are bought or unduly influenced by the companies who do well in the studies. Thus, research value is discounted, while magazine lab results are ignored.
You and Ed do us all a great service by highlighting your product strengths and the weaknesses in the other guy’s arguments. And in the process, you’re raising interest in both your products.
If Microsoft isn’t paying you to do this, I’d suggest you get a new agent. Looks to me like it ought to be part of a sales guru’s job description.
Now. As I said in my reponse to your post on Email Battles… I’ve linked to you. I’ll be interested to see if you return the courtesy.
I hope you enjoy a wonderful New Year. — BJ Gillette, Email Battles
@Bill,
Thanks for your comment.
Microsoft only pays me to do my dayjob 😉 I consider this my hobby. My motivation is the comments (positive and negative) I get.
Again I just wanted ot ensure my posts and comments are seen in the way intended ..
I will certainly return the favour, but I have to setup my blogrole properly first. Your on top of my list ..
@Peter. Slight correction: the “B” = Brian, not Bill. But if you feed me hot news tips, you are welcome to call me anything you like;-)
Sorry Brian …
working for Microsoft, sometimes makes you think everyone is named Bill 😉
*ah-hem*..
I simply get round this perception by *not* working for Microsoft. And after contracting for many years for IBM – I probably wouldnt do that either.
You see, being ass-imilated into ANY large corporate culture means that you have to sacrifice some of your own personal goals for the “team” (and sense of humour, dress sense, put up with idiots, share toilets, etc) – and put up with the endless corporate bulls*it, whilst being told what to do.
Aint gonna happen to me…
Whilst I dont have my own Porsche yet (this year perhaps..), I’m not broke enough to have to work for the “man”…
—* Bill
Bill,
I hope you didn’t misinterpate my post. I have not a moment of regret working for Microsoft. Having been around for a while now I can honoustly say it is the best employer I worked for ever.
Peter,
I thought Ed was going to be top of your blogroll ;O)
Besides, Ben comes above Brian…or Bill…lol
Your all in, don’t worry your in my blog roll only it’s not public yet;-)