Ariel Stallings: Microspotting the Empire (Channel 9)

You don’t think you can have blue hair and work at Microsoft? Wrong. You don’t think you can have blue hair, be a writer not a hard core geek, and be successful working at Microsoft? Wrong again. Meet Ariel Meadow Stallings, the brains behind Microspotting, the blog that humanly tells human stories about all of us who work to make up the soft and the micro. We may be an empire, of sorts, but we’re not evil, and Ariel is here to prove it. And guess what? Everybody’s got a story. Whether you’re an Olympic hopeful, a Bollywood dancer, a Peruvian rock star, a Goth, the son of a former Nigerian president, or completely shrouded in mystery and anonymity (yes, Mini-Microsoft), Ariel spins the yarns of these diverse people who have lives beyond the hallowed halls of Microsoft, and those lives help make them better Microsoft employees. And does Ariel walk the talk herself? Damn right she does. Watch the interview to hear how she happily enjoys a job-share, runs the very successful Salon of Shame in town, and is author of the book and blog, Offbeat Bride. Ariel is the empire!

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Apogeum

Dec 08, 2008 at 11:43 AM

but, but, but, PEOPLE be reasonable, who am I blaming if not Microsoft? you really need to be the deathstar! do it for me, ok?, will you? please!

I can't turn to Apple for that, they don't have products!! what would I do? nobody in his right mind would expect the next iBubble to work! so why complain?

Look, how will I be glorious Tron if there is no Master Control Program?

Take Vista or the ribbon, they are really, really terrible AND stupid, giving me lots to complain about, but then, I don't even use those! I use Windows XP, so my vote doesn't really count!

See how that works? It's WIN WIN!

But seriously:

Would it be possible at Microsoft to admit that Steve Ballmer (who I love) is burnt out and nobody "really" likes Ray Ozzie? That would indeed be "open". Honestly, I can't see that. The clothes and hair thing? "Come on!"

Charles: This wasn't an interview, it was 40 minutes of Microplugging.

To answer your only question: "Is there a Microsoft culture?":

"No, there is only a developer culture and it is where you'd expect it to be, with Anders, Brian, Erik, aso.. so you did the right thing focusing Channel9 on technical issues, otherwise there probably wouldn't be a Channel9 anymore."

Did someone force you to do that, you can tell me!
jason818_253.33 Yippi skippy

Dec 08, 2008 at 12:21 PM

I thought the interview was great.
Charles Welcome Change

Dec 08, 2008 at 1:09 PM

This was an interview about Ariel. Ariel works for Microsoft and is a very interesting person (perfect fodder for WM_IN and C9 generally). Since she can't interview herself for Microspotting, we figured it would be most useful to interview her on Channel 9, the original gateway into the Death Star.
C
Apogeum

Dec 08, 2008 at 2:24 PM

no, it was a monologue by Ariel. which is totally fine. I like her style. but it is not what you would expect from an entry in WM_IN with charles and ritzy, especially if charles is not asking questions.
Charles Welcome Change

Dec 08, 2008 at 3:01 PM

Sometimes I just like to listen, man. Ritzy is a very capable interviewer and asked several questions in this one. Ariel does not have a hard time with expressing herself, either!

I think this is a great interview. I mean, do you know more about Ariel, what she does, why she does it, where she's from, how she got here, etc? I would say that you do!
C
Apogeum

Dec 09, 2008 at 5:56 PM

I am not complaining about Ariel or Ritzy! I am complaining about you! The truth is, I think both of them covered for you.

The post is called Ariel Stallings "Microspotting the empire". so I thought Ariel will explain about Ariel and Charles & Ritzy will find out about the empire, and then so will I. Now Ritzy is Marketing so I don't expect her to try and shake out "interesting spottings" but I did honestly expect it from Charles the Inquisitive.

But maybe it is just me, I was so enthusiastic after the Roz interview, I had to edit my post!
Charles Welcome Change

Dec 09, 2008 at 7:27 PM

Sorry to disappoint! I'll speak up next time...
C
microspotting

Dec 10, 2008 at 11:12 AM

Charles actually did ask a few more questions ... you may notice an edit in the second half of the interview.
Charles Welcome Change

Dec 10, 2008 at 10:02 PM

Indeed. That was the part where we revealed the exact location of the Death Star's Achille's heal.
C
Yellow SEO Hilight Your Site

Dec 15, 2008 at 1:01 PM

And too think I got a hair cut, bought a suit and removed my facial piercing just to become a Jedi knight... This makes the darkside look very interesting....