Mini as interpreted on white board
Perhaps you’re familiar with
Mini-Microsoft, the anonymous Deep Throat Microsoft blogger who’s been
lovingly griping online about the company online since 2004.
Mini is somewhat infamous (having been interviewed by Business Week and The Seattle Times) and has managed to maintain his anonymity despite all the attention.
I recently had the chance to pester Mini with some of my own questions, and took the opportunity to ask him about his sad experience with facebook, how he felt about Fake Steve Jobs, and his groupies.
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There were not one but TWO exciting speakers on Microsoft’s campus today. Hilary Clinton was here in the morning, and then the infamous Fake Steve Jobs (nee Forbes editor Daniel Lyons) this afternoon.I had a meeting this morning, so I missed Hilary … but Fake Steve/Daniel was hilarious and spoke candidly about print journalism (”You know it’s bad when you’re in your 40s and you’re celebrating that sales are only down 2% this year.”), starting his blog, and being outed.
He also addressed the (hilarious!) rumors that he was a borg (aka MSFT) shill — I guess there are conspiracies that his book deal was part of a money laundering scheme so that Microsoft could pay him. “If that’s the case,” he said, “You guys really didn’t pay me very well.”
The whole talk was very funny, but one of the biggest laughs was when Daniel did his best imitation of the unbridled consumer excitement over the iPhone: “Look at me! I bought a product! I gave them my credit card and they sold it to me! WOW!”
Fake Steve/Daniel also mentioned that Microsoft was the first company to call and invite him to speak. “I’m still waiting for a call from Apple,” he quipped, explaining that he thinks Microsoft has a great sense of humor about itself. We all proved him right when the room erupted in giggles over a jab at the Zune. Ouch! …But HA!