Burningbird

Sorry you were disappointed at my questioning. Aside from Niall Kennedy and Mike Arrington, I think I did a damn good job in terms of the rest of the group and staying on Bill until I got him to at least dig a little deeper.

Shelley, the man is a consumate politician. I dare anyone to sit there and try to balance being a decent human to one of the world's, much less our industry's iconographic figures and still hold your own. I did the best of my ability to represent my particular take on things and if that isn't enough for some, so be it. And at the risk of sounding snarky, I really wonder why nothing I do ever seems good enough for you! I am who I am.

What would you have asked? How would you have answered?

I wouldn't have prefaced my questions, I would have gone simple and to the point:

Mr. Gates, when will Internet Explorer comply with currently released web standards?

What version of Internet Explorer will support CSS3? What version will support the upcoming release of ECMAScript 4?

Will will Microsoft deprecate its proprietary scripting language extensions?

Why isn't Microsoft supporting a version of IE7 for Windows 2000 so that we can get rid of the IE6 hacks?

I would not have used 'Bill', I wouldn't have prefaced my questions with what a leap forward IE7 was, and I wouldn't have brought in people's opinions — I would have focused on specifics related to the technology and the implementation.

I wrote recently that I think IE 7 is an attempt of Microsoft's to push people away from using IE, so the company doesn't have to support it anymore. I probably would have asked him that, too.

As for innovation BS, he's beginning to sound like Bush and the Iraqi war.

"Oh, but we're winning…"

I grant you that you did persist. I also grant that someone like me would never be asked to events such as this, so what would I have asked is moot.

"…someone like me would never be asked to events such as this, so what would I have asked is moot. "

Ah, but if you were asked, would you have gone…?

This event reminds me of the recent Bill Clinton event in Harlem, where a number of influential and "high-profile" bloggers were invited to a lunch with Clinton. Some bloggers were criticized for accepting the invitation.

I'm not sure how well I would handle myself around a "celebrity" and someone with substantial status and power. I fancy I would've accepted the invitation and asked some tough questions, but having run into "celebrities" and observed my inner response, I wonder if I really could throw hardball questions at "the world's richest man".

One thing's for certain: bloggers have the deck stacked against them when meeting public figures and professionals. This makes bloggers susceptible to flattery, freebies, etc., so that they check their brains at the door.

I met Bill Clinton once. He has wonderful eyes and his Secret service contingent is devoted to him, which says a lot about his personality.

Would I have gone. Probably not. Not with the trip being paid by microsoft and the 'gifts' given. But, as I said, I wouldn't be a nada nada nada…

I did go to an author introduction of DHTML years back. I paid my own way, but they gave us a wonderful lunch.

I didn't see your last bit, Molly, about whatever you do is not good enough for me.

Molly, I've been complimentary in the past. And I've not said anything one way or another many times. But you can't expect to be surrounded by adoring fans, where no one disagrees with you.

If you put yourself into these positions of prominence, this comes with the territory. People are going to disagree–with what you said, how you said it.

You started your question to Bill Gates on 'behalf of the constituents who you represent…" If you start anything with something like this, then you have to accept that some of the folk you 'represent' may not like how you do it.

However, I will follow your wishes, and not respond to your writings or efforts henceforth.

Shelley: I didn't mean you shouldn't criticize me or that others shouldn't either. Believe me, I know all about critics as I have plenty of them. What I was reacting to was a more personal thing. It's okay to disagree with me, and I am not angry and wouldn't want you to ever stop writing about anything I did or said if you felt so motivated.

Perhaps it's just especially difficult to take criticism from a woman in the industry whom I respect greatly yet disagree with at times.

I would hate to have to interview Clinton - I'm sure I'd be too charmed to ask him any of the hard questions. (I like this account of a brush with Bill C.)

I don't know if Bill G is charming in person; I suspect he is. It's a useful skill.