Ray Ozzie is blogging

Don’t know who Ray Ozzie is? He’s Chief Technical Officer of Microsoft. And why would he bother to write up some entries in his Space? Because he sees how companies can carry out conversations with their customers. Could you imagine a certain Australian telco having a conversation with its customers in the open, see-it-all manner of the blog-world? By the way, visit Ray’s Space – he seems to get special treatment – see the top of his page?

 

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When I first began blogging back in August of 2002, I explained that I was doing so to learn more about the nature of the link-centered medium, and that blogging might represent a new and more effective model of interaction in the "public space".

 

Indeed, I learned.  Through two bouts of blogging – one lasting three months, the other about a year – I learned as much about my own communications rhythms and habits, stumbling blocks and compulsions, as I did about the medium itself.

 

A great deal has occurred since then.

 

Groove continues to grow and thrive, but now within the Microsoft Office group.  Since late March my new role has had me spending most of my time in Redmond WA, with an occasional week here-and-there working at my Groove office in Beverly MA.  With an ’empty nest’ now that the kids are both in college, my wife and I are enjoying a new adventure … as we blend our new life in urban Seattle, with our continuing life in coastal New England, with the tremendous opportunity being afforded to me to make an impact here at/through Microsoft.

 

One of the most unexpected pleasures of our new bi-coastal life is that not only are we able to continue rooting for our beloved Sox at Fenway … but thanks to also living within walking distance to Safeco Field, we now have twice the number of opportunities to watch the Yankees lose.  (Papi was robbed, btw.)

 

So why the blog restart?

 

A couple of weeks ago, Bill and I brought life to a new initiative that, over the course of the months and years ahead, will catalyze and deliver a number of things that I’m very excited about.  At that event, I said that unlike many other stealth projects I’ve/we’ve done, in this case many of our plans and offerings will evolve progressively and in the open, shaped in good measure by a dialog with you.  This is not just feel-good marketing speak: the conversation related to Microsoft – its reputation, its intent and its offerings – is occurring and will continue to vigorously occur on the ‘net with or without us.  I’d rather it be "with", and I hope to add value in becoming another of the varied Microsoft voices conversing on the ‘net.

 

As in the past, it’s not my intent to be pitching our products here.  We’ve got plenty of mechanisms – old school and new – that work well for that sort of thing.  But to the extent that I’m excited about something, or I think there might be a different angle that you might be interested in, I’ll chime in.

 

Mostly, though, it’s my intent to use this as a channel through which to reply and converse with you in a manner that scales.  Not on all topics; it’s clear that the nature of my role at this large, public company dictates that I should and will stay silent on certain matters.  At times there will be controversies I just can’t or won’t engage in.  Many years ago at Groove we developed an early