Microspotting gets the lowdown on the unexpected personalities behind the company you know as Microsoft. We’re like the Paparazzi, but for Geeks.

Check it out… you might just learn something.

Hello Internet-land.

I'd like to introduce myself: my name's Thomas and I'm the editor for the new-and-improved JobsBlog (a 2-in-1 marriage of JobsBlog and Microspotting).

My background is as both a writer and editor and I've worked in book publishing, magazines and on-line.

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`Softie in Question: Clint Rutkas

Job Title: Technical Evangelist

You´ve got all of these crazy gadgets sitting around your office. Can you explain what some of these things are?
This´s all .NET hardware that I´ve built, namely a computer-controlled, light-up dance floor, a self-balancing skateboard and an automated bartender called Drinktendr.

So, your job is what?... to come up with cool ideas and figure out how to make them into realities?
I am part developer, part content producer for Channel 9 and I run the Microsoft blog Coding4Fun – which, yes, is all about learning how to make fun stuff with .NET technology.

Through the act of learning, people start to see the technology from a new viewpoint: what they once perceived as a nail may been seen as a screw to be used in a completely different way and create something nobody´s ever thought of before.

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’Softie in question: Cheryl Platz

Job title: User Experience Designer on the Management and Administration eXperience

I heard that you were a protégé of the late Randy Pausch of The Last Lecture fame. Can you tell us about working with Professor Pausch?
I didn't even know about my field of human-computer interaction until I went on my college visit to Carnegie Mellon. There was this guy there, Randy Pausch, who spoke of combining design, programming and psychology - all at the same time. It blew my mind. To top it off, he mentioned that he was an Imagineer. I had always loved Disney, especially theme parks - and I'd never seen an Imagineer in the wild before. I was sold.

After my first few years at CMU, Randy became my professor in undergrad and, then, grad school and my boss when I was a teaching assistant for his "Building Virtual Worlds" class. But, even more than that, Randy helped to realize one of my personal dreams. He walked up to me before class one day and asked, "Do you have any plans for this summer? I think that I have a job for you at Disney World." I almost cried in front of everyone.

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'Softie in Question: Scott Dart

Job title: Senior Program Manager on the Windows Team.

What part of Windows are you working on?
I could tell you but I’d have to kill you.

Seriously?
Seriously.

So, you oversee this highly classified software program while also playing in a 10-piece funk band?
I play baritone sax for DoctorfunK. We’re a high-energy funk/soul/R&B band with five horns, a rhythm section, and vocals. Our second CD is about to come out and we even played at the Muckleshoot Casino on December 26th with the former lead vocalist of Oakland funk legends Tower of Power.

Sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate.
Fortunately, working as a Program Manager at Microsoft is smooth sailing compared to negotiating the rough waters of the music business and band politics.

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So, normally I keep Microspotting focused on my coworkers -- the bad-asses who keep the wheels turning at Microsoft. But there are some changes on the way at Microspotting, and some of them have to do with me, so I guess I should step from behind the curtain a bit here.

First off, next month I'm heading off to maternity leave! My husband and I are expecting our first child on December 1st, and I'm in full preparation mode, doing nesty stuff like turning a closet into a nursery.

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The geek in question: Nico Tomacelli

The job title: SDET, Media Center Connections team.

Tell me about what you're working on now. Right now my team is working on delivering Internet content through Windows Media Center on Windows 7. I can't go into much detail -- but trust me, it’s exciting stuff. There will be a full announcement from Microsoft on October 22nd, when Windows 7 becomes available to the public. All the content will be available starting then and delivered on-demand through Media Center, so you don’t have to the provider’s website; you can just browse through Windows Media Center and play the content.

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The geek in question: Sean Daniel

The job title: Senior Program Manager, Home and Small Business Server

How did you get here? I was asked to join the company while I was locked out of my town home in frosty Ontario Canada. Ok, the longer version is that a few friends and I decided to work for Microsoft, even if it was as janitorial job. I applied for a few Internships while I was in my 3rd year at college.

At the time, Microsoft only hired 4th year students, so in my 4th year, I had an interview on campus with the GM of Small Business Server. During my 45 minute interview, I was asked to design a webpage for selling cars online. I did and was asked what the most important part of the website was, and I said the UI, then defended my position and got my first of two internships. I found out after the interview what Small Business Server (SBS) was and realized I was trying to build that exact product in my basement. After completing my internships, I joined the SBS team and have been here ever since.

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Last week the blogosphere was abuzz with the fact that Microsoft is now hiring folks to work at its two new stores — this week I had the chance to chat with one of the 'Softies responsible for making those hires.

The geek in question: Cheryl Hibbard

The job title: Store Manager of the Microsoft Store in Scottsdale, AZ

What are you working on right now? The largest and most important task for me now is hiring the best talent for the new Microsoft store opening in Scottsdale. I have only been in the Scottsdale area for a week now and meeting such wonderful and talented people in the community has been fun and rewarding. I feel very fortunate to meet such amazing people!

What are the key traits you're looking for? Since we have several roles that will be in the stores — like technical support, trainers, sales team and a sales support team — product knowledge along with a customer focus background is crucial in team building. Also, with this being the very first store for Microsoft, it’s also critical that everyone is flexible and willing to share ideas and concerns… it will help Microsoft make future stores better by what they learn from us.

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I mentioned a while back that a HUGE chunk of my time over the last year has gone into the new Microsoft Global Careers Site, which launched earlier this week at microsoft.com/careers. I coordinated profiles and photos for the site, assuming this would mean coordinating other people's photos ... but when the creative agency started mocking up the pages, they kept including shots from Microspotting. At first I just thought aww, they're using my stuff as filler! but then I realized they were actually recommending using my photography on the site.

Ultimately a ton of my photos went onto microsoft.com/careers, which has me tickled pink. I'm a writer ... but now I guess I'm a corporate photographer too!? Talk about unexpected career development, jeez. The global landing page of the new site features the faces of ton of Microspotting greatest hits profilees — and I figured I'd point 'em all out to y'all...

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The geek in question: Dona Sarkar

The job title: Test Lead in Windows Experience (WEX)

With Windows 7 on the horizon, it must be super crazy, exciting time for your team right now. It is so exciting. In all my years in industry I've never felt this kind of excitement or pride in my work before. So, it's wonderful, yeah.

So, you’re a Test Lead, but I also understand you’re an author of Young Adult fiction? How’d that happen? I went to school at the University of Michigan, and I studied computer science. Computer science was challenging, it was fun, it was a huge learning experience, but all my writing classes, literature, creative writing, that sort of thing all came very naturally to me. So, I split my time and got a minor in English When I moved out to the West Coast to start working as a dev, I started taking creative arts classes at Bellevue Community College, including fiction writing. In that class, I started writing my first novel. It was awful...

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The geek in question: Mario Guzzi

The job title: Senior Test Lead, Microsoft Expression Blend

Tell me a bit about what you’re working on. I work on Microsoft Expression Blend, which is a tool that enables designers to build rich user experiences on top of different platforms such as Silverlight and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF). It is Microsoft's first attempt to engage seriously with the designers of the world.

People haven’t always had nice things to say about Microsoft’s design values. Do you feel like your team is changing that?This is what gets me out of bed in the morning: the opportunity to actually give designers a new kind of opportunity. In the software development cycle, designers aren’t necessarily first class citizens, and our tools, paired up with the platform, enables them to become an active participant in the development process.

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Employee Mark Murray and his wife, Melinda Williams, were featured recently on a PBS “Frontline” special on U.S. health care after Microsoft benefits covered nearly $1 million in medical bills for the complicated pregnancy and premature birth of their son, Rees.

By Jennifer Warnick Rees

Murray Williams is a million dollar baby.

This is on paper, of course—the kind of paper medical bills are printed on. After a complicated pregnancy, Rees arrived nine weeks early and spent the first eight weeks of his life in neonatal intensive care, hooked up to wires and tubes.

It’s important to note, however, that the now-rambunctious one-year-old boy has a million dollar smile to match the two-inch stack of medical bills from his birth.

Rees and his parents, 13-year Microsoft employee Mark Murray and his wife, Melinda Williams, were recently featured on PBS’s “Frontline” as part of the investigative program’s special report on the U.S. health-care system, exploring its current state and ideas on how to fix it. 

Murray, general manager of corporate communications, said “Frontline” first approached Microsoft to be part of the program on health care because of the company’s outstanding health benefits. “Frontline” wanted to be able to show a “best-case example” of how the health-care system could work when a private employer offers its employees full coverage.

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The geek in question: Gladys Kenfack

Title: Senior Marketing Manager, Unlimited Potential Group

I know a bit about Unlimited Potential, and it seems like one of those amazing programs that speaks for itself — what kind of marketing do you need to do? Microsoft Unlimited Potential is the company’s initiative that enables sustained, social and economic opportunity for everyone with an emphasis in emerging markets. I’m responsible for the digital and social media marketing of UP programs and products.

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The geek in question: Blaise Aguera y Arcas

Title: Partner architect of MSN, working on Virtual Earth and Photosynth

So, you're an acquisition employee. How'd that feel? I founded a company called Seadragon in 2003 and we were around for only a couple of years before we were acquired. I think we had around 14 employees when Microsoft acquired us.

What was that like then, going from a little team that you started of 12-14 people, to being absorbed by — The Borg. Going from a start-up to working at Microsoft was a huge, huge step. I think the lowest point was at New Employee Orientation. I have to admit that a few of us Seadragon employees were basically throwing spitballs in the back of the room. We were totally bad kids, to the point where the guy running orientation actually separated us.

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Director of U.S. Health and Wellness Benefits Cecily Hall tells President Obama about some of the steps Microsoft has taken to provide its employees with affordable, comprehensive health coverage. By Lou Gellos Cecily Hall got the surprise of a lifetime on Mother's Day. Out to dinner with her three children...

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I've gotten a few concerned emails from people asking why I haven't been updating as frequently -- "Do you need nominations?" they inquire. "Do you need more leads?" Thankfully, I'll never be at a loss for interesting 'Softies to profile. I've got a folder with over 200 nominations...

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The geek in question: James Lyle

The job title: Program Manager in Windows International Globalization Services.

How long have you been here?
I just passed my 9th anniversary at Microsoft. I got my PhD from the University of Washington in the late '90s and my full intention was to be a professor of linguistics. But I knew some people who were working here who had come out of linguistics and came to check it out.

I had been looking at language in a very academic way with all these abstract theories about syntax. And when I got here, I started seeing the real thing. Once you start trying to build a grammar checker, you've got to know what all kinds of language real people are using in the real world every day. I felt like one of these 19th century biologists boating down the Amazon just looking at thousands of un-catalogued species with no time to even stop and say, "That's what that is, and that's what this is." I was seeing so much language every day!

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The geek in question: Jennifer Shepherd The job title: User Experience Designer II Tell me a bit about your job. I have kind of a hybrid role; I'm a jill of many trades, and do Web design, UI design, graphic design, writing, content management, and project management. So, I wear a lot of different hats...

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‎‎ How's it going getting settled into NERD, aka Microsoft's New England Research & Development center? I haven't done enough nesting yet, but so far, so good. mostly, it's a crash course in setting up computers, balancing meetings, figuring out hierarchies, learning the intranet …...

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Charlie found me on Twitter , where he sent me a message saying " Speaking of diversity at MS- How many native Cherokee speakers do you know of? At least 1-me :-) " A native Cherokee-speaking dev? Must! Know! More! So here's the interview... The geek in question: Charlie Smith The job title...

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