My name is Ariel Meadow Stallings and Microspotting is the place where I collect my photos and ramblings about the supposedly-Evil Empire and what it’s really like to work here. Microspotting is about other people, but I here’s my backstory for a little context.
I’ve spent 10 years working the tech and web world, starting with a contract for Microsoft in 1998. In the decade since then I’ve written for companies like Amazon.com, Seattle Times, and the Walt Disney Internet Group.
I started blogging in 2000 (creak, creak, creak go my blogger bones) and have spent a decade as a freelance writer, contributing to publications like the Seattle Weekly and ReadyMade Magazine. I wrote a book about nontraditional weddings called Offbeat Bride.
In early 2007, freshly laid off from my latest Web 2.0 startup job and happily focused on my freelance writing career, I got an email from a colleague about a job at Microsoft. Honestly, I thought to myself, “Would I fit in at Microsoft? I don’t think many people like me work at the Empire…” I was preparing my standard “Thanks but no thanks, I’m freelancing right now” response, when I noticed that the job was a part time/permanent position.
The part-time-ness was enough to get me in the door to ask more questions, and all the answers I got were perfect. Did it matter that I have pink hair and am prone to accidentally cussing in team meetings? Nope! Did it matter that I could only work three days a week because I was busy with my book and other writing projects? Nope! Would I get the same famous MSFT benefits as a 40-hour/week employee? Pretty much! What about the fact that I don’t like working before 10am? No problem!
And so I became a blue badge in February of 2007. I work with the Staffing Marketing team.
In my time with the company, I’ve realized that many of my preconceptions about Microsoft weren’t quite right. Boring, corporate, stiff, evil? Huh. Not really. Me and my weirdnesses fit in just awesome at The ‘Soft. I’ve met so many awesome, smart, inspiring people — people who I now profile on Microspotting.
If you want to know more about Microspotting and my job (because yes: Microspotting is my job), you can check out some of the news coverage.
Oh and PS: You might notice that I use all manner of social media sites like Flickr and YouTube on Microspotting. You might notice that I publish the site using an open source content management system. Before you get all “ZOMG, TRAITOROUS MICROSOFTIE!!!11!1!!” understand this: I don’t buy into the idea that working at Microsoft means you can’t use competitors’ tools. In fact, I think that’s the best way to stay in touch with a constantly shifting, super exciting industry. I’m a Web 2.0 geek, so I use whatever tools interest me at the moment — regardless of who makes them. Working at Microsoft does not equal flunky.
‘Softies, to nominate someone to be microspotted, email me at spotted@microsoft.com. I love chatting with techies who are super into their gigs.
