Congratulations on the new job! As I noted on my blog, I’ve followed and respected your work from your Byte days, and think its great to see you move to Microsoft. I think your instincts on this are dead on. Again, congrats, and enjoy your sabbatical!
Great interview with a person who I have always felt really “knows” what we can do with computers to help meet real people’s needs. I have been reading and trusting you for the last two decades and I will continue to do so. Congratulations and good luck!
Very cool Jon! Its great to see great people pooling their talents in Microsoft. I know you will not be shy in trying to influence Microsoft for its (and our) best. I will look forward to your ongoing contributions to this small community named the Internet and computing in general.
Comment by Rich Kilmer — December 8, 2006 @ 3:01 pm
I’ve been enjoying your ideas and writing since the Byte days. I have the utmost respect for you, Jon — Microsoft has made a great catch here! It won’t always be easy — great people (I’m thinking of Ward Cunningham as an example) have come to Microsoft and came away frustrated. Watch your expectations. But your goals seem more doable (To continue and expand what you’ve been doing). And, selfishly, I’m happy that you’ll spend more time up here in the Pacific Northwest — more chances to talk again. Congratulations and good luck!
Congratulations Jon.
I’m sorry to hear you’re leaving IDG. This is a big loss to that company, and to journalism. But as long as I know I can still see your work, I won’t be too upset.
Good luck.
Will we still get periodic updates about conditions in Keene? Or will you be relocating?
Comment by Chris Booth — December 8, 2006 @ 4:17 pm
Thank you for Library Lookup — one of your gifts to the mainstream that keeps on giving. That viral bookmarklet is the most useful tool a voracious reader can have.
I second Jeremy’s comments, Jon. A broader audience will now hopefully benefit from your talent and perspective, and Microsoft will definitely be the better for it…Keep on keepin on…
Comment by Richard Eckel — December 8, 2006 @ 4:58 pm
Congrats Jon! We love Microsoft as much as you do, and now there will be one more reason! Good luck & let’s stay in touch…
I have been reading your opinion columns and blogs for some time now. Quite frankly, while I wish you well, I am disappointed. I have been trying to get some feel around this “internet thing”, and have been trying to put together some guidelines. I have been reading your columns and blogs to try to determine what these should be. I don’t agree with everything you say, but take into account the insight you have due to the amount of time you’ve been dealing with nuts and bolts things. I’ve picked up a couple of clues here and there. But one of my main concerns is as follows:
All web pages should be compatible with any browser from Netscape Navigator 3.0 through IE 7, and run equally well from Windows 3.1 Mac OS 7.5 and Redhat Linux 4 through the latest Mac, Windows and Linux operating systems. Web pages should display the same on all browsers. It should never be a case where the web page is a method to force a user to upgrade web browser or operating system. A user should never be forced to fork over more cash, because some company has conned the web page developer to use a new tool, or upgraded a tool currently in use so that it breaks web pages that previously worked.
Now I understand that new features are being designed that can only be accessed with a new program. But quite frankly after the ability to download and play a video clip, to my mind there has been no new real functionality added to the internet, just fancier ways of doing this. The ability to post forms, and run Javascript has been there since release 3 of Netscape. The only other thing that has really been added are a bunch of bug fixes to fix problems bad people take advantage of. Again, that should not be an excuse to extort more money, but is a defect in the original problem that the supplier should take care of as a matter of course to provide a reliable product.
I will continue to read your columns, and blogs, but I’m afraid I will be able to obtain less useful information, because of a slant towards a particular product. I am hoping you will either you prove me wrong, or you have an influence at Microsoft that will truly make a difference, or both.
Comment by Sam O. Rogers — December 8, 2006 @ 5:24 pm
Welcome to the team Jon. I can’t wait to start working together.
Welcome to Microsoft!! I am so thrilled about this. I have been following your column and podcast for years…from little Denmark…You are one of the main reasons i am able to almost keep up on technology although my role is now almost 100% business oriented!
I am so pleased by you joining, this is just what we need! I am sure you will really make an impact!!!
While I always thought that you might actually strike it out on your own, your new journey sounds like fun.
Microsoft has always had neat new stuff which the devil of windows only has managed to imprison in a echo chamber. Ray Ozzie’s groove comes to mind, Hailstorm comes to mind..and there are many others back in time. While the business case for windows imprisonment is easy to make, the smartest people always dont work at your company, and dont always use your platform. You have always kept that in mind, starting from the first time I read you in Byte, continuing through Practical Internet Groupware and Infoworld. I have a feeling you will be a highly successful ‘evangelist’, even and perhaps most importantly, within!
Wow, Jon. Big news, and a tremendous hire for Microsoft.
It was fun working with you when I was at Sleepycat. If there are ways to continue doing that now that you are at Microsoft and I am at Oracle, let’s do it!
Best of luck on the new adventure. May both parties (and the rest of us) benefit from your time there. You have been one of the main reasons I hang on to my InfoWorld sub, and I look forward to picking up the feed at the new digs.
This is a great move, especially if we get to see you around the Seattle area. It’s a great move for Microsoft. I think you can do more for them than Scoble ever did (which was quite a lot).
Congratulations, Jon. I first read you in Byte and bought my first 386/20 in the same week, and have been tracking your and Microsoft’s progress ever since. I’m quite sure that this is a good move for you, and wish you happiness and fulfilment in spades.
I am a reader of your articles since “unix days” in Byte.
This move seems to be a dangeorous one for you. Are you sure you wont be part of the next “embrace and extend”?
Comment by Juan Garcia Garcia — December 8, 2006 @ 7:14 pm
Congratulations. I always enjoyed my trips to Seattle when I was part of MS, it’s a lovely part of the world whether you’re a visitor or moving there. I look forward to continuing to follow what you get up to.
And as Tristan says, what’s your new feed address?
Jon!
I’ve obviously failed in my religious duties. Alpha geeks need much more life in the Caribbean and good Rhum than the average geeks. It may be to late to bring you back to light and wisdom of doing less in more time, but the offer will always stand: you are welcome crew on the Sailing Vessel Mother of Perl.
The truth is, I never did understand what you were doing, so I shouldn’t try liberating you from your devious ways. -perlcapt
And thanks for noting the over-riding issue: we need to evolve faster than ever to make this planet workable for all living beings. Cyber-shmootz is our big lever.
Welcome to the party! As someone who goes back to before there was a Microsoft and who only joined up 2 years ago, after 20+ years on “the other side” I can tell you working here the best thing I’ve done in decades.
I used to work for Jeff and still do work in the same org focusing on MicroISVs, Compilers and producing audio/video/screen podcasts for C9 and On10. I look forward working with to continuing to shake things around here You might want to check out http://www.projectglidepath.net to see what kinds of non-traditional things we’re doing!
I can only echo the congrats Jon and the sentiment captured earlier that you are the main reason I (okay Yager too) read InfoWorld. I’ve always respected your platform agnosticism and interoperability/integratability perspective. I can hope you’re able to further that meme in Redmond. And since I know that CSS conformance in IE is one of your peeves I’ll be looking at that as a testcase. I also wonder how Steve Gilmor will reconcile your move (and stated rationale, which I deeply respect) with his “Microsoft Is Toast” opinion…
[...] On a related note, Jon Udell is coming to Microsoft from Infoworld with a remit that has some alignment with the conversations Hugh and I have been having. Looking forward to having another like minded soul in Redmond! [...]
Great stuff Jon. What you’re going to do on Jeff’s team sounds fantastic. I loved this line about “This isn’t your father’s — or maybe your older brother’s or sister’s — Microsoft”. I’m trying to follow a similar agenda from the UK with the help of Hugh MacLeod’s Blue Monster cartoon “Microsoft: Change the World Or Go Home” - http://blogs.msdn.com/stevecla01/archive/2006/12/08/blue-monster-lithographs.aspx
Wow, I get my RSS feeds from crashed NewsGator over into RssBandit and what is the most exciting thing to pop up when I say “Update All Subscriptions Now!”
I’m enthralled, excited, and intrigued. Great move! Congratulations.
It’s easy to see you making a terrific contribution to the way Microsoft is transforming itself this time around. (Beside providing full-content feeds now instead of having to point to the sheet, perhaps?)
All right, we need a Geek dinner on your first relaxed stay in Seattle/Redmond.
Wow, this is a huge move, and one I totally didn’t see coming. I particularly appreciate this reason you gave: “Jim Hugunin, who created both Jython and IronPython, is making my favorite open source scripting language, Python, a first-class citizen of the .NET platform.”
So, does this give you a fresh reason to come to PyCon (http://us.pycon.org) ?
Jon, best of luck in Redmond. I knew about Channel 9, which definitely was a big and positive move for Microsoft. I am a little more concerned about your working for Channel 10, which I only saw today for the first time.
I sure hope you can add some lower-key intelligence to Channel 10, which just seems to be a site for $ofties to feel good about how their products have been marketed (either by MS itself: Zune) or by some of the corporations they have a stranglehold on (HP: kitchen computer).
I have faith that you’ll be able to see the best mashups of all that .Net stuff with the more open standards and web services “for the rest of us”.
Comment by Peter Zingg — December 9, 2006 @ 1:03 am
Congratulations Jon! I have heard nothing but great things from my friends who have gone to work for Microsoft. I am sure you will have lots of fun and that you will be a great influence on everyone and everything you come into contact with while you are there. The best of luck to you.
Just curious, but what will happen to all the articles posted at weblog.infoworld.com/udell?
Comment by David Magda — December 9, 2006 @ 1:46 am
Some months ago we exchanged mail about how sad it was that the BYTE days were long gone.
I have a somewhat resembling feeling now, something good old and familiar leaving, something new yet to come.
I’m probably not the most optimistic geek you will find when Microsoft is involved, but if some well needed change has any chance of being made, it will certainly have to made from the inside, you certainly have the credentials and track record to be a part of that change. (and that huge challenge)
Great success, good night and good luck, Mr Udell.
Personally, and I’ve been a follower of yours for a while, this move totally undermines your credibility. You’ve gone from being a neutral and learned pundit, to being a shill for a company that specializes in being sued for anti-competitive business tactics. I’m very disappointed - why doesn’t Microsoft just buy InfoWorld?
Comment by Arianne Brott — December 9, 2006 @ 3:46 am
WELCOME! I look forward to working with you, along with Jeff/Tina/Laura/Duncan/Larry. Great team!
While I wish you were going to Google instead (to my way of thinking, that’s a more natural fit for you, with at least the same level of exposure as at MS), I am always happy to read what you wish to share.
I hope the change will keep you energized for some time to come, and I wish you the best of luck in your new environment.
Congratulations, Jon, on this terrific opportunity.
As an artist of the possible, and as a generous human being, you have inspired and instructed me every step of the way. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead, for you and for all of us. Godspeed!
Jon, please reconsider. Us enterprisey folks who practice Management by Magazine truly appreciate the integrity you bring to the table in not showing favoritism for vendors, evangelizing non-commercial open source and even actually testing the products you write about, something of which we simply can’t seem to get or even expect from industry analysts…
If I can be so bold as to ask for one favor, please get someone at MS to consider extending DRM to work with ADFS along with a continued conversation around entitlements where MS shows others how to do this right.
I have long appreciated and admired your insights and your amazing ability to pull up your sleeves and get disparate technologies to work together in useful ways.
Many years ago I was a Technology Evangelist at Microsoft. The job has changed but the need has not.
Microsoft is at its best when it is focused on adding value for customers (users and developers) instead of its partners or insane attempts to lock us in. Smart, articulate, capable people you are a huge part of that.
I know you will find Microsoft to be filled with passionate alpha-geeks like yourself. Give them voice. Connect to them to the outside.
congrats on your move! Visiting Infoworld will be less pleasant
I don’t have anything new to add to the scores of people who’ve commented earlier — reading all the comments will tell us how much you’ve influenced people.
I hope that will continue to cover Java and Open Source.
Congratulations and best of luck: I think this is a brilliant move for Microsoft and one that I hope will help you to pursue your terribly important work. I suspect it will.
I made an analgous move exactly one year ago and initially had many of the misgivings that you no doubt also had. I had only the ‘wait and see what happens before you judge this’ tact to fall back on, and was slapped by more than one former colleague with the accusation of selling out. In hindsight I traded a somewhat tenuous independence for a better-funded one. My current keepers are no more interested in unquestioning loyalty than any of my old clients were. The difference is - now my critiques have more teeth.
From the selfish point-of-view of their employer, an analyst is only useful when he says exactly what he thinks, and an evangelist is only credible when he says exactly what he believes. I am certain that you can only continue to do both.
The podcast version of the auto-interview sounds a little weird, as if it was recorded by a computer voice. Of course I am tempted to joke you have been assimilated My interview is this week, wish me luck!
Such great news! Welcome! I have been a long time fan, I hope we can work together, and I can’t wait for you to come up here!
Comment by Lili Cheng — December 11, 2006 @ 5:57 pm
Hey Jon - great news and it sounds like a perfect fit. You’re a natural at digital evangelism - I’ve got you to thank for walking me through my first tentative steps into the blogosphere during my time at InfoWorld.
Jon — I couldn’t resist ’signing’ your electronic farewell card along with fellow long-time followers (another Byte-era fan). Clearly this new role offers what you believe to be an effective way to engage and exchange with more people. The more folks exposed to your thought-provoking the better, I say.
I am curious, which puzzler question did MS ask during your interview?
Best wishes and happy holidays to you and family.
Comment by Dan Thomas — December 22, 2006 @ 9:56 pm
Congratulations Jon,
Ive been an avid reader of Byte back in the late 80s early 90’s…. And for sure i had a lot of respect for your views as was the case when you moved to InfoWorld..
I dont doubt you will do great things to cross-pollinate within Microsoft, but please dont sell out. I know you are talking about software that works… i cannot agree more…
but lets hope people like you and Ray Ozzie can change MS to be less about proprietary platform lock-in.
Don’t forget Apple - OS X, Google - GMail, Mozilla - Firefox !! — remember to keep it real and don’t sell out!
Hi Jon - Every once in a while, you say something that makes me sit up and begin thinking furiously. I’m sure that will continue. Make sure we know where to find you.
Comment by Peter Varhol — December 26, 2006 @ 9:02 pm
Congratulations Jon…
and thank you for your work throughout all these years. Thank you for introducing web technologies to me through your Byte columns back in the old days of the Internet. I owe you one in particular, because your column was largely a motivation for me to experiment. It all sounded so futuristic back then, and now, here i am working as a web developer. I do not want to give any advice for i respect your opinion - almost - unconditionally. Good luck at MS.
“…All too often, people wear their technology affiliations on their sleeve (or perhaps on their t-shirts), much as people did with chariot racing in ancient Rome. Whether you use NT or Linux, whether you program in Perl or Java or Visual Basic - these are marks of difference and the basis for suspicion…”
I recently also joined the Microsoft employment ranks from I guess being in the general population of Adobe (maybe slightly more vocal in my local Adobe community) and recieved everything from “Sell-out” emails through to my blog being dropped from syndication - simply for fear that it will be pro-MS and anti-Adobe etc.
Such comment above holds true and I look forward to reading more of your work Jon as I agree, your compass does point to “what works”.
Again, reading your comments since the early BYTE days and a pair of 5.25’s in a 286 gives this old man a long perspective on your gifts. And they most assuredly are that — Gifts to the readers from someone with a great instinct for the future in technology.
I look forward to seeing and hearing more of your creativity in the future. I do believe you will be a good influence on Microsoft’s environment and a push in positive directions.
May you continue to have fun in what you do and be successful. Enjoy and stay healthy!
Ouch! On the one hand - congratulations! On the other — I wish you were going to Google or Apple. I really haven’t seen anything from Microsoft that suggests they’re substantially deviating from the long and intractable pattern often described by Robert Cringely. It’s almost impossibly hard to give up the revenue stream that comes with extending and preserving an operational monopoly, and I can’t see Microsoft becoming a force for good without surrendering the monopoly.
That said, I have great respect for you and maybe this is the first real sign of a change at Microsoft ….
Congratulations on the new job! As I noted on my blog, I’ve followed and respected your work from your Byte days, and think its great to see you move to Microsoft. I think your instincts on this are dead on. Again, congrats, and enjoy your sabbatical!
Comment by Ed Bilodeau — December 8, 2006 @ 1:20 pm
Congrats Jon.http://seanmcgrath.blogspot.com/2006_12_03_seanmcgrath_archive.html#116558688494530212
Comment by Sean McGrath — December 8, 2006 @ 2:10 pm
Congrats on the move. So, what will your new blog URL be? It’s important for us all to know so we can subscribe to your new feed
Comment by Tristan Louis — December 8, 2006 @ 2:47 pm
Congrats, Jon.
You’ll have a great time in the job and Microsoft will be better for it.
Comment by Jeremy Zawodny — December 8, 2006 @ 2:48 pm
Great interview with a person who I have always felt really “knows” what we can do with computers to help meet real people’s needs. I have been reading and trusting you for the last two decades and I will continue to do so. Congratulations and good luck!
Comment by Matthew Hile — December 8, 2006 @ 2:50 pm
Interesting. Make some waves!
Comment by Patrick Mueller — December 8, 2006 @ 2:52 pm
Very cool Jon! Its great to see great people pooling their talents in Microsoft. I know you will not be shy in trying to influence Microsoft for its (and our) best. I will look forward to your ongoing contributions to this small community named the Internet and computing in general.
Comment by Rich Kilmer — December 8, 2006 @ 3:01 pm
I’ve been enjoying your ideas and writing since the Byte days. I have the utmost respect for you, Jon — Microsoft has made a great catch here! It won’t always be easy — great people (I’m thinking of Ward Cunningham as an example) have come to Microsoft and came away frustrated. Watch your expectations. But your goals seem more doable (To continue and expand what you’ve been doing). And, selfishly, I’m happy that you’ll spend more time up here in the Pacific Northwest — more chances to talk again. Congratulations and good luck!
Comment by Bernie Thompson — December 8, 2006 @ 3:25 pm
Please do keep on doing what you’ve been doing, Jon. God speed in your new ventures.
(From a minor founder of Byte (along with Carl Helmers and Dan Fylstra (Mr. Visicorp) back in, oh, what, ‘73?), who’s always enjoyed your work.)
Comment by Chris Ryland — December 8, 2006 @ 3:31 pm
I learned a great deal from this post. I look forward to learning more when you are with Channel 9.
Comment by Bruce Curley — December 8, 2006 @ 3:31 pm
Congratulations Jon.
I’m sorry to hear you’re leaving IDG. This is a big loss to that company, and to journalism. But as long as I know I can still see your work, I won’t be too upset.
Good luck.
Comment by Paul Conley — December 8, 2006 @ 3:53 pm
Congrats Jon!
Keep up the good work.
Comment by Danny — December 8, 2006 @ 3:54 pm
Congratulation - keep up the excellent work wherever you are.
Comment by bajames — December 8, 2006 @ 4:15 pm
Congratulations - keep up the excellent work wherever you are.
Comment by bajames — December 8, 2006 @ 4:16 pm
Will we still get periodic updates about conditions in Keene? Or will you be relocating?
Comment by Chris Booth — December 8, 2006 @ 4:17 pm
Thank you for Library Lookup — one of your gifts to the mainstream that keeps on giving. That viral bookmarklet is the most useful tool a voracious reader can have.
I hope your future is bright.
Comment by Sheila Lennon — December 8, 2006 @ 4:26 pm
I’m looking forward to following you on your new adventure.
Comment by Jim Russell — December 8, 2006 @ 4:33 pm
Jon,
I second Jeremy’s comments, Jon. A broader audience will now hopefully benefit from your talent and perspective, and Microsoft will definitely be the better for it…Keep on keepin on…
Comment by Richard Eckel — December 8, 2006 @ 4:58 pm
Congrats Jon! We love Microsoft as much as you do, and now there will be one more reason! Good luck & let’s stay in touch…
Comment by Bernard Struyf — December 8, 2006 @ 5:21 pm
Jon,
I have been reading your opinion columns and blogs for some time now. Quite frankly, while I wish you well, I am disappointed. I have been trying to get some feel around this “internet thing”, and have been trying to put together some guidelines. I have been reading your columns and blogs to try to determine what these should be. I don’t agree with everything you say, but take into account the insight you have due to the amount of time you’ve been dealing with nuts and bolts things. I’ve picked up a couple of clues here and there. But one of my main concerns is as follows:
All web pages should be compatible with any browser from Netscape Navigator 3.0 through IE 7, and run equally well from Windows 3.1 Mac OS 7.5 and Redhat Linux 4 through the latest Mac, Windows and Linux operating systems. Web pages should display the same on all browsers. It should never be a case where the web page is a method to force a user to upgrade web browser or operating system. A user should never be forced to fork over more cash, because some company has conned the web page developer to use a new tool, or upgraded a tool currently in use so that it breaks web pages that previously worked.
Now I understand that new features are being designed that can only be accessed with a new program. But quite frankly after the ability to download and play a video clip, to my mind there has been no new real functionality added to the internet, just fancier ways of doing this. The ability to post forms, and run Javascript has been there since release 3 of Netscape. The only other thing that has really been added are a bunch of bug fixes to fix problems bad people take advantage of. Again, that should not be an excuse to extort more money, but is a defect in the original problem that the supplier should take care of as a matter of course to provide a reliable product.
I will continue to read your columns, and blogs, but I’m afraid I will be able to obtain less useful information, because of a slant towards a particular product. I am hoping you will either you prove me wrong, or you have an influence at Microsoft that will truly make a difference, or both.
Comment by Sam O. Rogers — December 8, 2006 @ 5:24 pm
Welcome to the team Jon. I can’t wait to start working together.
This will be a lot of fun!
Comment by Jeff Sandquist — December 8, 2006 @ 5:54 pm
Congratulations, Jon. Good for you and very good for Microsoft.
Comment by Robert W. Anderson — December 8, 2006 @ 5:54 pm
Jon,
Welcome to Microsoft!! I am so thrilled about this. I have been following your column and podcast for years…from little Denmark…You are one of the main reasons i am able to almost keep up on technology although my role is now almost 100% business oriented!
I am so pleased by you joining, this is just what we need! I am sure you will really make an impact!!!
Ciao & Stay Cool
/Bo
Comment by Bo Drejer — December 8, 2006 @ 6:07 pm
Congrats Jon!
While I always thought that you might actually strike it out on your own, your new journey sounds like fun.
Microsoft has always had neat new stuff which the devil of windows only has managed to imprison in a echo chamber. Ray Ozzie’s groove comes to mind, Hailstorm comes to mind..and there are many others back in time. While the business case for windows imprisonment is easy to make, the smartest people always dont work at your company, and dont always use your platform. You have always kept that in mind, starting from the first time I read you in Byte, continuing through Practical Internet Groupware and Infoworld. I have a feeling you will be a highly successful ‘evangelist’, even and perhaps most importantly, within!
Will you still be staying in Keene?
Rahul
Comment by Rahul Dave — December 8, 2006 @ 6:17 pm
Wow, Jon. Big news, and a tremendous hire for Microsoft.
It was fun working with you when I was at Sleepycat. If there are ways to continue doing that now that you are at Microsoft and I am at Oracle, let’s do it!
Comment by Mike Olson — December 8, 2006 @ 6:25 pm
Hi Jon, will you be relocating to Redmond? Would be great to have you as part of the tech community out here.
Comment by Jeff Barr — December 8, 2006 @ 6:30 pm
Jon,
Best of luck on the new adventure. May both parties (and the rest of us) benefit from your time there. You have been one of the main reasons I hang on to my InfoWorld sub, and I look forward to picking up the feed at the new digs.
Comment by Mike McCallister — December 8, 2006 @ 6:45 pm
I never liked infoworld anyway.
Comment by Beer28 — December 8, 2006 @ 6:48 pm
Jon,
This is a great move, especially if we get to see you around the Seattle area. It’s a great move for Microsoft. I think you can do more for them than Scoble ever did (which was quite a lot).
Comment by Deepak — December 8, 2006 @ 7:00 pm
Congratulations, Jon. I first read you in Byte and bought my first 386/20 in the same week, and have been tracking your and Microsoft’s progress ever since. I’m quite sure that this is a good move for you, and wish you happiness and fulfilment in spades.
Comment by Jerry Mead — December 8, 2006 @ 7:14 pm
I am a reader of your articles since “unix days” in Byte.
This move seems to be a dangeorous one for you. Are you sure you wont be part of the next “embrace and extend”?
Comment by Juan Garcia Garcia — December 8, 2006 @ 7:14 pm
Congratulations. I always enjoyed my trips to Seattle when I was part of MS, it’s a lovely part of the world whether you’re a visitor or moving there. I look forward to continuing to follow what you get up to.
And as Tristan says, what’s your new feed address?
Comment by Adrian McEwen — December 8, 2006 @ 7:19 pm
Jon!
I’ve obviously failed in my religious duties. Alpha geeks need much more life in the Caribbean and good Rhum than the average geeks. It may be to late to bring you back to light and wisdom of doing less in more time, but the offer will always stand: you are welcome crew on the Sailing Vessel Mother of Perl.
The truth is, I never did understand what you were doing, so I shouldn’t try liberating you from your devious ways. -perlcapt
Comment by Ben Smith — December 8, 2006 @ 7:23 pm
Hey, please let us know about your new web space. I read you for so long time that I don’t want to miss anything.
Comment by Paulo Eduardo Neves — December 8, 2006 @ 7:57 pm
Congratulations on the new role - are you moving up to Seattle? Looking forward to seeing you again.
-John
Comment by John Lam — December 8, 2006 @ 7:59 pm
Like lots of others have said, “congratulations!”
I too am curious to know if you’ll be moving to Redmond or staying in Keene or something else entirely.
Haven’t forgotten the help you gave us with Conversant, both via your book and when we met at your house many years ago.
I hope this is a successful, fascinating, and rewarding change for you.
Seth
Comment by Seth Dillingham — December 8, 2006 @ 8:12 pm
Excellent. This’ll be good for all parties.
And thanks for noting the over-riding issue: we need to evolve faster than ever to make this planet workable for all living beings. Cyber-shmootz is our big lever.
– stan
ps — get to know balmer. he’s a fine lunatic.
Comment by Stanley Krute — December 8, 2006 @ 8:21 pm
Jon,
Welcome to the party! As someone who goes back to before there was a Microsoft and who only joined up 2 years ago, after 20+ years on “the other side” I can tell you working here the best thing I’ve done in decades.
I used to work for Jeff and still do work in the same org focusing on MicroISVs, Compilers and producing audio/video/screen podcasts for C9 and On10. I look forward working with to continuing to shake things around here
You might want to check out http://www.projectglidepath.net to see what kinds of non-traditional things we’re doing!
Comment by Michael Lehman — December 8, 2006 @ 8:43 pm
I can only echo the congrats Jon and the sentiment captured earlier that you are the main reason I (okay Yager too) read InfoWorld. I’ve always respected your platform agnosticism and interoperability/integratability perspective. I can hope you’re able to further that meme in Redmond. And since I know that CSS conformance in IE is one of your peeves I’ll be looking at that as a testcase. I also wonder how Steve Gilmor will reconcile your move (and stated rationale, which I deeply respect) with his “Microsoft Is Toast” opinion…
Comment by Paul Bouzide — December 8, 2006 @ 9:24 pm
How funny! I have just cancelled (decided not to renew) my subscription to InfoWorld, so I must be psychic. Good luck, Jon; send all of us your URL.
Comment by francine hardaway — December 8, 2006 @ 9:36 pm
[...] On a related note, Jon Udell is coming to Microsoft from Infoworld with a remit that has some alignment with the conversations Hugh and I have been having. Looking forward to having another like minded soul in Redmond! [...]
Pingback by Steve Clayton: Geek In Disguise : blue monster lithographs — December 8, 2006 @ 10:16 pm
Great stuff Jon. What you’re going to do on Jeff’s team sounds fantastic. I loved this line about “This isn’t your father’s — or maybe your older brother’s or sister’s — Microsoft”. I’m trying to follow a similar agenda from the UK with the help of Hugh MacLeod’s Blue Monster cartoon “Microsoft: Change the World Or Go Home” - http://blogs.msdn.com/stevecla01/archive/2006/12/08/blue-monster-lithographs.aspx
Comment by steve clayton — December 8, 2006 @ 10:16 pm
Wow, I get my RSS feeds from crashed NewsGator over into RssBandit and what is the most exciting thing to pop up when I say “Update All Subscriptions Now!”
I’m enthralled, excited, and intrigued. Great move! Congratulations.
It’s easy to see you making a terrific contribution to the way Microsoft is transforming itself this time around. (Beside providing full-content feeds now instead of having to point to the sheet, perhaps?)
All right, we need a Geek dinner on your first relaxed stay in Seattle/Redmond.
You’ve made my day.
Comment by orcmid — December 8, 2006 @ 10:24 pm
Wow, this is a huge move, and one I totally didn’t see coming. I particularly appreciate this reason you gave: “Jim Hugunin, who created both Jython and IronPython, is making my favorite open source scripting language, Python, a first-class citizen of the .NET platform.”
So, does this give you a fresh reason to come to PyCon (http://us.pycon.org) ?
Comment by Michael Bernstein — December 9, 2006 @ 12:13 am
Hmm. Try that link again:
http://us.pycon.org
Comment by Michael Bernstein — December 9, 2006 @ 12:14 am
Jon, best of luck in Redmond. I knew about Channel 9, which definitely was a big and positive move for Microsoft. I am a little more concerned about your working for Channel 10, which I only saw today for the first time.
I sure hope you can add some lower-key intelligence to Channel 10, which just seems to be a site for $ofties to feel good about how their products have been marketed (either by MS itself: Zune) or by some of the corporations they have a stranglehold on (HP: kitchen computer).
I have faith that you’ll be able to see the best mashups of all that .Net stuff with the more open standards and web services “for the rest of us”.
Comment by Peter Zingg — December 9, 2006 @ 1:03 am
Congratulations Jon! I have heard nothing but great things from my friends who have gone to work for Microsoft. I am sure you will have lots of fun and that you will be a great influence on everyone and everything you come into contact with while you are there. The best of luck to you.
Comment by Chaim Krause — December 9, 2006 @ 1:07 am
Good luck.
Just curious, but what will happen to all the articles posted at weblog.infoworld.com/udell?
Comment by David Magda — December 9, 2006 @ 1:46 am
Some months ago we exchanged mail about how sad it was that the BYTE days were long gone.
I have a somewhat resembling feeling now, something good old and familiar leaving, something new yet to come.
I’m probably not the most optimistic geek you will find when Microsoft is involved, but if some well needed change has any chance of being made, it will certainly have to made from the inside, you certainly have the credentials and track record to be a part of that change. (and that huge challenge)
Great success, good night and good luck, Mr Udell.
Comment by horacio — December 9, 2006 @ 2:05 am
Congratulations Jon!
http://vielmetti.typepad.com/superpatron/2006/12/congratulations.html
Comment by Edward Vielmetti — December 9, 2006 @ 3:12 am
Personally, and I’ve been a follower of yours for a while, this move totally undermines your credibility. You’ve gone from being a neutral and learned pundit, to being a shill for a company that specializes in being sued for anti-competitive business tactics. I’m very disappointed - why doesn’t Microsoft just buy InfoWorld?
Comment by Arianne Brott — December 9, 2006 @ 3:46 am
WELCOME! I look forward to working with you, along with Jeff/Tina/Laura/Duncan/Larry. Great team!
Comment by John Porcaro — December 9, 2006 @ 4:56 am
While I wish you were going to Google instead (to my way of thinking, that’s a more natural fit for you, with at least the same level of exposure as at MS), I am always happy to read what you wish to share.
I hope the change will keep you energized for some time to come, and I wish you the best of luck in your new environment.
Comment by Glenn — December 9, 2006 @ 8:48 am
Congratulations, Jon, on this terrific opportunity.
As an artist of the possible, and as a generous human being, you have inspired and instructed me every step of the way. I can’t wait to see what’s ahead, for you and for all of us. Godspeed!
Comment by Gardner — December 9, 2006 @ 11:05 am
Jon, please reconsider. Us enterprisey folks who practice Management by Magazine truly appreciate the integrity you bring to the table in not showing favoritism for vendors, evangelizing non-commercial open source and even actually testing the products you write about, something of which we simply can’t seem to get or even expect from industry analysts…
If I can be so bold as to ask for one favor, please get someone at MS to consider extending DRM to work with ADFS along with a continued conversation around entitlements where MS shows others how to do this right.
Best wishes
Comment by james — December 9, 2006 @ 2:04 pm
I have long appreciated and admired your insights and your amazing ability to pull up your sleeves and get disparate technologies to work together in useful ways.
Many years ago I was a Technology Evangelist at Microsoft. The job has changed but the need has not.
Microsoft is at its best when it is focused on adding value for customers (users and developers) instead of its partners or insane attempts to lock us in. Smart, articulate, capable people you are a huge part of that.
I know you will find Microsoft to be filled with passionate alpha-geeks like yourself. Give them voice. Connect to them to the outside.
I look forward to great things.
Comment by Michael Winser — December 9, 2006 @ 2:55 pm
hi jon,
congrats on your move! Visiting Infoworld will be less pleasant
I don’t have anything new to add to the scores of people who’ve commented earlier — reading all the comments will tell us how much you’ve influenced people.
I hope that will continue to cover Java and Open Source.
Good Luck!
BR,
~A
Comment by anjan bacchu — December 9, 2006 @ 5:18 pm
Jon-
Congratulations and best of luck: I think this is a brilliant move for Microsoft and one that I hope will help you to pursue your terribly important work. I suspect it will.
I made an analgous move exactly one year ago and initially had many of the misgivings that you no doubt also had. I had only the ‘wait and see what happens before you judge this’ tact to fall back on, and was slapped by more than one former colleague with the accusation of selling out. In hindsight I traded a somewhat tenuous independence for a better-funded one. My current keepers are no more interested in unquestioning loyalty than any of my old clients were. The difference is - now my critiques have more teeth.
From the selfish point-of-view of their employer, an analyst is only useful when he says exactly what he thinks, and an evangelist is only credible when he says exactly what he believes. I am certain that you can only continue to do both.
Cheers,
Joe Beirne
New York
Comment by Joe Beirne — December 9, 2006 @ 8:03 pm
From the 50 or so positive comments above Jon I bet you’re pleased you got the wordpress system up and running!
Take the parallel of Tim Bray aligning with Sun - it seems to have improved both him and Sun. I hope the gorilla is equally mutual.
Comment by Gavin Brelstaff — December 9, 2006 @ 8:23 pm
Jon,
I second Jeremy Zawodny’s comment. It’s by luring folks of your stature that Microsoft succeeds.
–rj
Comment by Roger Jennings — December 10, 2006 @ 12:47 am
Hi Jon,
This is great news. Congratulations. Now I get to meet you more since I will be visiting Seattle 3-4 times a year.
–Dorai
Comment by dorai — December 10, 2006 @ 2:30 pm
Good luck, Jon! I certainly hope things work out well.
Comment by Ken Kennedy — December 10, 2006 @ 4:18 pm
The podcast version of the auto-interview sounds a little weird, as if it was recorded by a computer voice. Of course I am tempted to joke you have been assimilated
My interview is this week, wish me luck!
Comment by DiegoV — December 11, 2006 @ 4:30 am
Such great news! Welcome! I have been a long time fan, I hope we can work together, and I can’t wait for you to come up here!
Comment by Lili Cheng — December 11, 2006 @ 5:57 pm
Hey Jon - great news and it sounds like a perfect fit. You’re a natural at digital evangelism - I’ve got you to thank for walking me through my first tentative steps into the blogosphere during my time at InfoWorld.
Comment by Mark Jones — December 12, 2006 @ 4:21 am
I’m late to the party here, but as a long-time fan of your work Jon, let me add my congratulations. Microsoft is lucky to get you.
Bruce
Comment by Bruce Sharpe — December 14, 2006 @ 3:46 pm
So much good stuff was part of this series! Good luck in next endeavor.
Comment by Vaughan — December 18, 2006 @ 4:19 pm
Let me get this straight: You interviewed yourself about your new job, then podcast it THEN posted a transcript?
You’ve GOT to be kidding.
Comment by rad — December 19, 2006 @ 4:23 am
“You’ve GOT to be kidding.”
Admittedly strange. The rationale was that the audio is part of a series that might be subscribed to independently of the blog.
Comment by Jon Udell — December 19, 2006 @ 1:21 pm
John - just stumbled across this - let me add my congratulations and best wishes! I am sure we will be seeing you around the old “evangelist sphere.”
Eric
Comment by Eric Newcomer — December 19, 2006 @ 8:51 pm
Jon — I couldn’t resist ’signing’ your electronic farewell card along with fellow long-time followers (another Byte-era fan). Clearly this new role offers what you believe to be an effective way to engage and exchange with more people. The more folks exposed to your thought-provoking the better, I say.
I am curious, which puzzler question did MS ask during your interview?
Best wishes and happy holidays to you and family.
Comment by Dan Thomas — December 22, 2006 @ 9:56 pm
Congratulations Jon,
Ive been an avid reader of Byte back in the late 80s early 90’s…. And for sure i had a lot of respect for your views as was the case when you moved to InfoWorld..
I dont doubt you will do great things to cross-pollinate within Microsoft, but please dont sell out. I know you are talking about software that works… i cannot agree more…
but lets hope people like you and Ray Ozzie can change MS to be less about proprietary platform lock-in.
Don’t forget Apple - OS X, Google - GMail, Mozilla - Firefox !! — remember to keep it real and don’t sell out!
S.
Comment by suresh — December 23, 2006 @ 3:31 pm
Hi Jon - Every once in a while, you say something that makes me sit up and begin thinking furiously. I’m sure that will continue. Make sure we know where to find you.
Comment by Peter Varhol — December 26, 2006 @ 9:02 pm
Congratulations Jon…
and thank you for your work throughout all these years. Thank you for introducing web technologies to me through your Byte columns back in the old days of the Internet. I owe you one in particular, because your column was largely a motivation for me to experiment. It all sounded so futuristic back then, and now, here i am working as a web developer. I do not want to give any advice for i respect your opinion - almost - unconditionally. Good luck at MS.
Comment by Giorgos — December 29, 2006 @ 10:27 am
I got this zune download that is a blast. i am glad microsoft is catching up. I know they get a lot of flack but i like them
Comment by Zune — December 31, 2006 @ 4:25 pm
“…All too often, people wear their technology affiliations on their sleeve (or perhaps on their t-shirts), much as people did with chariot racing in ancient Rome. Whether you use NT or Linux, whether you program in Perl or Java or Visual Basic - these are marks of difference and the basis for suspicion…”
I recently also joined the Microsoft employment ranks from I guess being in the general population of Adobe (maybe slightly more vocal in my local Adobe community) and recieved everything from “Sell-out” emails through to my blog being dropped from syndication - simply for fear that it will be pro-MS and anti-Adobe etc.
Such comment above holds true and I look forward to reading more of your work Jon as I agree, your compass does point to “what works”.
Congrats
Comment by Scott Barnes — January 2, 2007 @ 11:20 am
Jon:
Again, reading your comments since the early BYTE days and a pair of 5.25’s in a 286 gives this old man a long perspective on your gifts. And they most assuredly are that — Gifts to the readers from someone with a great instinct for the future in technology.
I look forward to seeing and hearing more of your creativity in the future. I do believe you will be a good influence on Microsoft’s environment and a push in positive directions.
May you continue to have fun in what you do and be successful. Enjoy and stay healthy!
Steve
Comment by Steve — January 2, 2007 @ 8:19 pm
Ouch! On the one hand - congratulations! On the other — I wish you were going to Google or Apple. I really haven’t seen anything from Microsoft that suggests they’re substantially deviating from the long and intractable pattern often described by Robert Cringely. It’s almost impossibly hard to give up the revenue stream that comes with extending and preserving an operational monopoly, and I can’t see Microsoft becoming a force for good without surrendering the monopoly.
That said, I have great respect for you and maybe this is the first real sign of a change at Microsoft ….
Comment by John Faughnan — January 6, 2007 @ 7:53 pm