Jon Udell joins Microsoft
I did a classic double take when I read this headline on Techmeme this morning - 'A conversation with Jon Udell about his new job with Microsoft'.
If you don't know who Jon Udell is, he is what I consider to be the ultimate modern technology journalist. The topics he covers have been on the cutting edge, and the media he uses to communicate his thoughts have made compelling viewing / listening / reading for me. Jon is the pioneer of the screencast, stretching this format to its limits to provide insightful, rich and often educational content.
As you might have gathered, I'm a fan of Jon's. I've also been fan of Jeff Sandquist (the brains and force behind Microsoft's Channel 9 and 10), but now an even bigger fan of Jeff's now that he's managed to convince Jon to join his team. Congratulations to both Jon and Jeff. Very cool.
Q: Your new job is with Microsoft?
A: That's right. My last day at InfoWorld will be Friday Dec 15. On Jan 15, after a month-long sabbatical, I'll become a Microsoft employee. My official title will be Evangelist, and I'll report to Jeff Sandquist. He's the leader of the team that creates Channel 9 and Channel 10, websites that feature blogs, videos, screencasts, and podcasts for Microsoft-oriented developers.
Q: What will your role be?
A: The details aren't nailed down, but in broad terms I've proposed to Microsoft that I continue to function pretty much as I do now. That means blogging, podcasting, and screencasting on topics that I think are interesting and important; it means doing the kinds of lightweight and agile R&D that I've always done; and it means brokering connections among people, software, information, and ideas -- again, as I've always done.
Perfect.