Losing Credibility
I’ve always been interested in how the public perceives an individual from his set of friends or colleagues. It’s the company you keep that matters, sometimes. And in the blogosphere, the people you’re involved with can make or break your credibility.
Robert Scoble has been Microsoft’s technical evangelist for some time, before he left late 2006 to join a startup, PodTech.net. He has been hailed as a celebrity in worldwide geekdom, and has been said to succeed at making Microsoft “less evil” in the eyes of the public.
With Scoble’s departure, people started to wonder if and when Microsoft will get a replacement, and whether this person would be from within Microsoft’s ranks, or from outside. Just this week, Michael Gartenberg announced on his blog that he is Microsoft’s new Enthusiast Evangelist.
Why Microsoft? There’s a revolution going on. A battle for the hearts and minds of consumers in terms of their digital lives. I firmly believe that Microsoft is the only company that will enable the seamless transition for users to move in and out of the different aspects of their lives. In short, no one else comes close to presenting a complete, unified and integrated view of the digital home of the 21st century.
Apparently, Michael’s credibility rating had rapidly plunged because of this association with Microsoft. To some readers, at least, Michael went from a person they trusted to a person who has “sold out.”
I, for one, am entirely disappointed. Your credibility just went into the crapper. I would eagerly read your “independent, objective, and insightful” takes on all things tech for the last many years.
Sadly, no more. You’ve become part of the MSFT’s “Ministry of Disinformation”; the new Scoble — only far more dangerous, as you are tremendously more literate and articulate. Microsoft chose well.
It’s pretty interesting to think about whether this loss of trust stems from Michael’s being associated with the corporate world, or because it’s Microsoft that he’s now blogging for. Before Microsoft, Michael was a Vice President at Jupiter Research and led its team on emerging technology platforms. Definitely corporate. But Michael still held it on his own—people trusted him and listened to what he had to say.
Even his views on the upcoming Windows Vista were heavily quoted even in mainstream media. But now that he’s with Microsoft, it would likely be a big challenge to get people to warm up to his insights, especially when it comes to the company he works for.
Still, being an evangelist would entail being enthusiastic about your own company’s products and still being honest about how you feel at the same time. Robert Scoble often criticized Microsoft and praised other companies like Apple and Google, and this was seen in a positive light. It was seen as honest and candid (and perhaps not just “scripted,” just so people would think he’s being honest and candid). That’s probably how it will be with Michael Gartenberg.
But the question remains: is it worth it. Michael probably knew he’d lose a few credibility points. The important thing is that there is disclosure. And while that disclosure doesn’t fully make up for the loss in confidence, it’s a good start.
What do you think?