Ask Me No Hard Questions, I'll Tell You No Hard Lies
Yesterday a buncha bloggers gabbed with Gates and then ... blogged about it. Some people were tweaked that they didn't ask hard questions. Presumably, they felt questions only qualified as hard if they make Bill mad.
Well, the only reason you'd make Bill mad is if you intentionally set out to do just that. No matter who you are, Bill's seen worse and more intimidating chaps than you.
Scoble has a great little post about why people wouldn't be mean in an interview with BillG.
Scoble says:
Well, let’s assume I paid your round-trip airfare, hotel, bought you nice meals, and gave you some nice swag. Wouldn’t you be feeling just a little more generous toward me? But, now, let’s say I set it up so that every year I’d do the same thing but I’d put little hints out there that you wouldn’t get to come to next year’s shindig if you made any trouble.
Or, even better, let’s say I just don’t invite any trouble makers at all.
and
Another part of it is simple respect. Bill Gates is at the top of the industry, is probably going to be known as the greatest philanthropist we’ve ever known, and is simply bigger than life to most of us who’ve never gotten to know him personally. It takes a lot of confidence to ask a tough question, particularly when you know that 14 other people are going to be making judgments on you in the public square.
And don’t think it’s a blogger thing, either. I’ve been in attendance at press conferences with Bill and most of the pros don’t ask all that hard a question.
Ultimately, though, when you are given a rare opportunity to ask someone questions who may have a unique perspective - it does not behoove you to be combative. You want to get information. And they each got about 5 questions. Sort of like going to candy heaven and being able to chose five pieces of candy.
You'll always regret your choices and you'll never get the depth of the experience you wanted.
All those blog posts were simple regrets at merely being able to kiss the Pope's ring, and not being able to see the hoard of gold in the storehouses underneath the Vatican.
Blogged at Gray Hill Harbor Offices in Seattle using Windows Live Writer
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