I’m in Seattle today to keynote an internal Microsoft conference on Web publishing. I’m going to make a plea for amateurism, which is really a plea for voice and ambiguity.

About twenty of us went out to dinner last night and had a great a time. I don’t think I’ve ever met a Microsofty that I’ve disliked. In my 15 years of experience with ’em, I’ve generally found them to be hugely bright, passionate, and funny … although some of what they do when they’re put together into the mighty Microsoft Entity deeply disturbs me. Even so, the people I’ve met have been straightforward and non-huffy when talking about where we disagree. (Disclosure: Yes, Microsoft is paying me for speaking. No, I am not required to say nice things to or about them.)

I’m meeting with Microsoft Research in the afternoon and I think I’m going to go over the current outline of the book I’m pre-working on, which has something to do with how the info revolution is changing the principles by which we categorize and classify things, and how this is affecting how we understand ourselves and the world. Something like that.

Categories: Uncategorized dw