istartedsomething

Inside the Insiders is a series of interviews with some of the most recognized and outspoken Microsoft influentials, journalists and enthusiasts I know. I plan to go around interviewing as many of these peers as possible to find out more about their background, life outside of Microsoft and their darkest Unix fetishes. At least that’s what I tell them. Little did they know their answers will help me annihilate them and my other competitors.

Bob insists he is the dude on the left and not the ball of fun in the red vest.

Before the spew of silly little blogs like this one, most people visited one of the bigger technology websites or portals for their source of information and gossip. For Microsoft news, one of those that withstood the test of time is ActiveWin. One of it’s co-founders is Robert Stein, or otherwise simply known as Bob. I also happened to meet Bob during CES and there’s no better way to describe him than just a great down-to-earth guy. But as it turns out, he’s not as down-to-earth as I thought he was. In fact, you could say he’s above-and-all-over-the-earth.

Hey Robert. Who are you and what website do you run?

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Inside the Insiders is a series of interviews with some of the most recognized and outspoken Microsoft influentials, journalists and enthusiasts I know. I plan to go around interviewing as many of these peers as possible to find out more about their background, life outside of Microsoft and their darkest Unix fetishes. At least that’s what I tell them. Little did they know their answers will help me annihilate them and my other competitors.

With such a serious face, I dare not caption anything humorous.

Sandro Villinger was one of the nicest people, out of a whole groups of nice people, whom I had the chance of meeting at this year’s CES show. He’s German, but let not his background fool you. He’s fluent in English, probably more fluent than I am and is one of the top Windows Vista writers in a non-English speaking country with several books and magazines under his belt. But don’t just take my word for it, a lot of other Microsoft bloggers and journalists feel the same way. I had the chance to chat with Sandro to find out exactly what makes him tick.

So who is Sandro Villinger?

I give you some quick key words about me: name – Sandro, Villinger, job – writer/author, self-employed, Microsoft, Vista, magazines, online, Italian food, passionate, traveler. That sums me up really quickly – want more?

Credit card number please. So what do you think makes you a “Microsoft influential”?

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Inside the Insiders is a series of interviews with some of the most recognized and outspoken Microsoft influentials, journalists and enthusiasts I know. I plan to go around interviewing as many of these peers as possible to find out more about their background, life outside of Microsoft and their darkest Unix fetishes. At least that’s what I tell them. Little did they know their answers will help me annihilate them and my other competitors. Everyone’s still falling for it, even when I tell them outright.

She’s so full of karma, she glows of a warm shade of gold.

In an era of journalist-wannabes, there are only a few who can claim they actually studied journalism or worked as a professional journalist for much of their lives. Mary Jo Foley, or otherwise accurately nicknamed the “Microsoft Watcher” has done both. She’s been in the business right from the beginning when Steve Jobs was just a guy with the turtleneck. She probably knows more code-names than exists. And she’s broken several quite infamous Microsoft stories over the years, most negative – but that’s what people want to hear. I also had the pleasure of meeting Mary Jo at CES this year and so did Maryam Scoble who did an excellent video interview. Here’s my not-as-good-as-Maryam’s interview.

Hello Mary Jo. If you were a car, which one would you be?

Long: Hey Microsoft, if you want to hide secrets from MJ, hold meetings in a car park!

So you are the official Microsoft Watcher. How did that title come about? Or do you have a really big telescope pointed at Redmond?

Long: The whole world’s gone soft.

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Inside the Insiders is a series of interviews with some of the most recognized and outspoken Microsoft influentials, journalists and enthusiasts I know. I plan to go around interviewing as many of these peers as possible to find out more about their background, life outside of Microsoft and their darkest Apple fetishes. At least that’s what I tell them. Little did they know their answers will help me annihilate them and my other competitors. So far my plan is working, and no one suspects a thing.

Brandon LeBlanc (right). Clay model (left).
Or so he tells me.

This time, I chat with Brandon LeBlanc who has a gift for multi-tasking. He used to blog for himself at MSTechToday as the Sidebar Geek (he’s very fluent in Sidebar I might add), which later implode, forcing him to blog on Live Spaces instead – a bold move. More recently, he joined Microsoft’s official Windows Vista Team Blog, writing for The Windows Experience blog – creating a-blog-in-a-blog paradox. If that wasn’t enough, he’s also Twitters. This interview would be considered counter-productive because he’s only responding to 1 question at a time.

Hey Brandon, sorry to take a bit of your “Halo 2 on Vista” time. Don’t worry, Master Chief will still be there when you get back.

Long: You can count that towards community service.

Who are you? And how do I know you’re not really a 65-year old sitting behind a computer?

Long: But you could have had a very clever disguise. Wonders what those anti-aging creams can do these days.

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Inside the Insiders is (going to be) a series of interviews with some of the most recognized and outspoken Microsoft influentials, journalists and enthusiasts I know. I plan to go around interviewing as many of these peers as possible to find out more about their background, life outside of Microsoft and their darkest Apple fetishes. At least that’s what I tell them. Little did they know their answers will help me annihilate them and my other competitors. They say to keep your friends close, and enemies closer.

Robert threatens to blow his head off after Apple’s iPhone announcement

The first of those to fall for my inconspicuous trap is Robert McLaws, from the formerly LonghornBlogs.com fame and now the leader of the Windows-Now clan, consisting mostly of himself. Not only did I have the pleasure of meeting Robert at this year’s CES event in Las Vegas, but also listen to his peaceful snore. What happens in Vegas, makes great jokes later on. Personal details aside, Robert is a great questioner and interviewer himself – always setting the benchmark for heated discussions and topical issues at questions time. Here’s what he had to say from the other side.

Long: Hey Robert. Thanks for falling for my cunning plan.

If you were on a dating site, how would you describe yourself?

Heh. Those dating sites never work

My name is Robert Wayne McLaws, and I am a 25 year old guy from Mesa, Arizona. Though I own my own software company, I’m probably the coolest nerd you’ll ever meet.

I’m currently living with Nicole, my wonderful girlfriend of 2 1/2 years. I have a twin sister, two younger biological sisters, 4 step sisters, and two stepbrothers. Three of my siblings are Hispanic, one is gay, and I have 4 black step-cousins.

The modern American family (And I already have the rights to the sitcom, so don’t even try it.)

Long: Looking forward to “Everybody hates Robert”.

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