Comments on: the echo chamber [revisited]

By: kris fuehr

kris fuehr — Sun, 06 May 2007 00:21:55 +0000

Thomas, you may be right that GapingVoid is assimilating Microsoft.
I had the great honor of spending the entire day with Hugh yesterday. One of my colleagues at MS said after the meeting as he shook Hugh’s hand: “Thanks Hugh, you really rocked my brain around”. I think that sums it up. Hugh’s probably on a plane to NYC now. What’s fascinating is that Hugh just ‘is’. He doesn’t wear his agenda on his sleeve and, as you point out here, his curiosity and additive approach affords him great respect. He opened my eyes to a bunch of things. The ecosystem, the subtleties, the no zero-sum game, heck even music references.
Speaking of music–We met with Steve Ball which I’m sure Hugh will write about it. (I took video on our camera phones). A conversation with Steve is a sensory cornucpia. Steve is responsible for the way that Vista greets you each day. Poor Steve, a mountain of talent, he’s trying to inch some of it into the millions of desktops and hampered by the need for Vista to be everything to everyone. (no electric guitars…wouldn’t want to offend grandma!) Fascinating conversation between Hugh and Steve. They connected at so many levels conceptually, musically, socially, and there was this “jiffy pop” effect where they suddently were into a zone of thousand ping-pong phrases finishing each other’s sentences, etc..
I have to say that the art Hugh practices requires a certain ‘Master Po’ quality to it. He has to help people realize things on their own by asking questions. You then have the chance to internalize them — own them as your own. Here, I am Grasshopper and while many times I understand what Hugh says, sometimes it takes me a few hours or days to really internalize it, but it eventually happens and Hugh is pretty patient. (I think)
Hugh’s curiosity with Microsoft comes not from anything related to ‘sell-out’ (by any means) It’s his interest in the re-invention. The simple models that Hugh was white-boarding with us yesterday were so deep and meaningful, but so simply expressed. I think this symbiotic relationship is far tipped in Microsoft’s benefit vs. Hugh’s so you should try some different words than ‘sell-out’. Maybe ‘point-out’?
Quick sidebar that made me chuckle (and it gives me a chance to try on some of what I’ve learned). Hugh and I used the hand-manipulatable Virtual Earth glass table). The demo lets you use your hands to zoom/pan/move the 3D map and Hugh asked if this was Google Earth.
Now, shutting off my cheerleading tendencies where I normally would say: “yes! It’s Microsoft’s Virtual Earth which is so cool in the following ways.….”
Rather, I’m going to say: Microsoft does have a earth-to-street-level 2-D & 3-D mapping solution. The team who worked on it were asked to build features that would be more compelling and useful than anything currently available. You can try it an see if they succeeded in doing that local.live.com. Google and Microsoft each have areas of strengths in different cities. Many people are comparing different cities and discussing which they prefer and where. e.g. while Google has a 3d rendition of a stadium in San Francisco, Microsoft has a detailed view of the building in the Vegas strip. Which you pick may depend on which areas you focus on. You can see a side-by-side comparison at http://www.jonasson.org/maps/.
A lot of people are infected with the HughTrain bug. Having him explain it in person has been even more enlightening. I think next time, we’ll just reserve a room for 500+ and broaden the discussion. Next trip Hugh?
HINT: Hugh’s masterplan? Everytime the blue monster is exposed to techies through Microsoft or other channels, Stormhoek’s name is embedded directly to its target market. Mwah, ha ha! Happy to oblige, Hugh. It’s brilliant.
–Kris

By: hugh macleod

hugh macleod — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:33:21 +0000

Robert, yeah, exactly, easy to say, hard to do. Sometimes the different worlds interconnect, but not all the time.
I just write about what interests me at the moment. If that changes, the blog changes. C’est la vie.

By: Paul Fabretti

Paul Fabretti — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 16:40:50 +0000

That’s a good point Hugh, although the echo chamber in reverse would be a far more appropriate concept — the megaphone maybe?
As I mentioned in my post and to Steve, the megaphone (sort of like Seth’s) concept allows individuals at Microsoft, however small they may be, to have their say. I think it is a very powerful tool of engagement.

By: RKR

RKR — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 09:14:20 +0000

Mr. McIntosh: Respectfully, if you put all three ideas (great wine, smart suits, and a blue monster) into one cartoon theme wouldn’t you end up with “Beast” from X-men?

By: robert mcintosh

robert mcintosh — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 05:35:07 +0000

I think the “assimilated” comment is a result of the ‘theme of the moment’ effect of blogging about what is currently relevant and interesting to you. For a while it was almost nothing but Stormhoek, with the occasional suit and marketing idea. Now it is almost exclusively about Blue Monsters.
It would be great to see all of these things intermingling, and speaking to each other, offering insight and advice. Easy to say, difficult to manage, but could get around the single theme issue?

By: Frank

Frank — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 01:36:24 +0000

No Hugh — don’t recycle this one. It’s very clever but has too many overtones of ‘converse with MSFT and hear the sound of your own voice’.
DRAW NEW CARTOONS OR GO HOME

By: David Terrar

David Terrar — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 21:28:26 +0000

Cheers Den, and thanks for the link love Hugh! It’s a shame you’re off to SF just as Dennis arrives in the UK. Maybe next time.

By: RKR

RKR — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 13:26:53 +0000

Hughcutus of Borg, He Who Has Spoken with Cartoons:
We,(speaking for the entire hive) assimilated your cartoons into our own lives. Isn’t that Microsoft’s same goal? For the hive to continue to assimilate Microsoft into their lives…You are the right representative to unleash “the monster”.
Live long and prosper so you can enjoy many and more accomplishments.
Your Gapingvoid Klingon, RKR
(This ridiculous comment was brought to you by 2 margueritas and a need for coffee)

By: Thomas

Thomas — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 12:53:04 +0000

“being assimilated by Microsoft” Ha!
MS is being assimilated by Gapingvoid.
hehehe

By: troy worman

troy worman — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 09:21:50 +0000

On assimilation, I think your track record speaks for itself. Regarding Microsoft, I would feel better about their continued relevance with Gates at the helm. I am curious to know what percent of Microsoft’s employees, old and new, work in Redmond vs other cities..

By: Dennins Howlett

Dennins Howlett — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 06:58:08 +0000

Hugh — David is one of the ‘good guys’ as I’m sure you discovered by which I mean decent and honest.
Disclosure: He and I are occasional business partners.

By: Robert de Forest

Robert de Forest — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 04:22:11 +0000

“MS has got to get outside…”
I agree completely. Changing the contexts and participants of their conversations would go a long way towards helping them catch up with the new cultures of business and relationships which has been developing online. Microsoft has a lot more to offer the world and rebuilding communication with the various communities is probably the most important first step.
On the other hand, I prefer to read that cartoon as a comment on how funny any conversation gets when it becomes self-aware.

By: Keith Handy

Keith Handy — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 01:51:36 +0000

I’ve always seen that cartoon as self-parody on your part — since you do a lot of “talking about the conversation”.