I'm one of many people at Microsoft who are interested in listening to your thoughtful, respectful, data-driven product feedback :-). Jason Gordon (who some of you should know) will be your primary contact from our division but Andrew Brown is a great friend to the MVPs as well. We're here to listen. Keep the feedback coming.
In 2002, when there was a PPC fanfest in London, I bemoaned on a forum that I wouldn't be able to get in (as I was between Pocket PCs and so lacked the `entrance requirement`). Derek e-mailed me a doc (without being asked), to print out and show the door staff, saying I was allowed in without a Pocket PC. Top man all round!
As one of the five in the group photo Jason put up, I just wanted to echo Jason's sentiments and thank him for writing this piece. Derek was a great benefactor to the Windows Mobile community and me personally.
I placed a mini-tribute to Derek in a recent Motorola MPx200 article I wrote for O'Reilly & Associates at:
If you look at Figure 5 (showing a video screen cap on the Smartphone's Windows Media Player), you can see Derek and me in the video clip freeze frame.
Now, I'm waiting for Derek to figure out a way to have Microsoft Small Business Server run on the Pocket PC ...todd
Oh my gosh, I think this is spinning out of control. First off thanks to Jason for such a thoughtful post. I can’t tell you how much this article and all your thoughtful responses mean to me. What a fantastic community and friends you are.
I must say that I suppose nothing can top being reminded by Jason that I perhaps played a tiny role in bringing CE Beans Frog Defibrillator to market. Truly a breakthrough Pocket PC application and I can only imagine the countless frogs that have been saved. To think I played a part… I could write a tome about all the fun I’ve had getting to know all of you.
You have made a difference. You have been heard. I remember early on a post about an issue that upset me. I decided to take that post, paste it in an email with my comments to Steve Ballmer and cc the VP responsible for this area. A few days went by and then I got a reply from Steve with a one word reply “agree”. That post changed things at Microsoft as did so many of your comments, suggestions, feedback and tough-love. Thank you for that!
Lastly a word from my sponsor Microsoft. I hope in a small way I’ve helped put a human face on Microsoft, a fantastic organization of amazing, passionate people for whom it’s been my great honor and privilege to represent. There aren’t many Fortune 500 companies out there that not only let their employees post online but in fact encourage it. When I started it was a bit edgy, I wasn’t always wise in what I said, there were statements that when picked up by C|net and quoted in articles didn’t look so great. But you know what?? Not once, not even in the smallest way did anyone in management ever even hint or suggest that I not do this – I was encouraged.
I’m never far away btw, I check Thoughts and other sites from time to time to see what’s up, what’s hot and what people are saying. Thanks again – as always I’m touched by the wonderful people and tight community that has grown up around Pocket PC. It was the most amazing 5+ years of my life,
Jason, thanks for writing your article and enabling us to share our memories in an online community, as it should be.
Derek provided me with the privilege of being part of that original group of five, and with that be part of the very beginning of something that continues to grow. Few people get to say they where there when X started, yet I have had that chance and it has been an awesome experience.
There are two things that impress me about Derek and from which I have learned. First, from the first time I talked with Derek I realized that he was personally invested in making Windows CE devices and all their brethren the best they could be. Most of the time he wasn't talking as a representative of Microsoft, but rather as a person who really cared about what he was doing, who really liked what he was doing, and who wanted to see his product succeed.
The second thing that impresses me about Derek is all the more incredible when you take into account what I wrote above. Derek took a lot of criticism. He put on a bull’s-eye and walked right into any online community he could find to engage people, learn from them, and inevitably take criticism. Yet every time it seemed to me he never took any of it personally. He either acknowledge the criticism as legitimate, provided sound counterpoints, or diffused the issue with humor. The fact that he could handle that about something he clearly felt personally about is impressive to me, and something that I strive to emulate.
Derek, clearly today’s Pocket PCs and Smartphones are now recognized as legitimate handhelds in large part because of your work. But more importantly, you have touched so many lives in an incredible number of ways. I don’t think it is coincidence that people have launched careers, fulfilled dreams, and yes, even fell in love, while either working with you, or participating in an event that you had put together. Best wishes on your new assignment, we look forward to an even better integration between Exchange and Windows Mobile devices!
P.S. Does anyone want to place bets on how long it will be before any of the products that are part of SBS have different names?
P.S.S. You know Derek, there is this new online thing going on called weblogs. I hear a lot of Microsoft folks are getting the religion, can we expect to see your weblog soon so we can continue to follow your exploits?
Just wanted to pop in and offer my congratulations, fond farewell, well wishes, whatever, to Derek. So sorry to see you go and hope that you will continue to impart your thoughts here on Thoughts. With Beth gone as well, the original dynamic duo that drove PPC early on, have moved on (if I said passed on this would sound more like a eulogy) to bigger and better things, which is rather unfortunate to those of use who remember the good old days. :cry:
Good luck with your new role, I hope you enjoy it as much as you have working with the Windows Mobile group.
My God, it's 2:00AM here. I should be in bed. See how much we care? I've lost sleep over this whole deal. :wink:
__________________
Kent Pribbernow Elitist Snob, Contributing writer for Wired's Cult of Mac
I bought my first iPAQ in August 2000 when here in Italy the mobile scene was literally dominated by Palm devices.
The Pocket PC ecosystem was at its first steps and I started to read every single message posted on microsoft.public.pocketpc.
In all the messages I quickly learned 2 things: passions and knowledge of MVPs and Derek Brown's posts.
I learned so much in those early days that I felt it was time to teach. I thought that I would have been a much better writer in my mother tongue so I started to write some e-mails to Derek asking to open microsoft.public.it.pocketpc (the italian language ng). He did it!
Few months later a Microsoft employee, who is italian and read my posts, told Derek that I was ready to be an MVP. I remember that they both warned me: "we are appointing you as an MVP but please don't disappear after few months". 6.000 messages and 3 years later I am still the italian MVP and more important I am proud of it.
I cuddled the newsgroup as a son and here we are, 3 years and 42.600 messages later, it is by far the most frequented ng in the non-english area and descripted by many people as "professional, helpful, polite bunch of Pocket PC experts".
Thank you Derek, my life as MVP and community enthusiast has been generated by your passion and the fact that you listened. Thanks and enjoy your new role in the SBS team.
Hey all - great words for a great fella! I have so many reasons to sing the praises of Derek Brown: he gave me a chance to try some new, fun, crazy things like rent a truck and drive around the United States showing off Microsoft Mobile Devices, rent a Volvo and drive around Germany showing off Microsoft Mobile Devices, fly all over the place showing off Microsoft Mobile Devices. I used to wonder how I got away
with getting paid for what I was doing.
Derek was a mentor from day one on how to be a customer centered business person. He put the needs and voice of the customer into everything we did and I think in a large way he is the reason the Pocket
PC community is still and active and thriving one. Who can forget the big truck?? The fan fests?? The mayhem that was the Derek Brown Mobile Experience??
All of the MVPs, folks from the PPC and Mobile computing sites, and user groups across the world were like a big family to Derek and I for the few years we had the pleasure to work with them, and there is still a sense of loss for me at having moved on.
That said - it's great to see more folks carrying the torch, like
Andrew, Nicole, Neil, Wes, Ed, Jason and countless others. Of course, I am always happy to pitch in when I can to, however, these days I'm throwing all my passion into the Microsoft Office Specialist certification - if you're interested drop me a line: bethg at microsoft.com
There is probably one last thing I need to give Derek a huge thank you for and I'm sure he knows what it is.... and that is sending an Ipaq to that certain someone back in the Fall of 2000, which I can genuinely say has changed my life forever.
Can't wait to attend my first Small Business Server Jam fest!!!
Those of us at Pocket PC magazine, also owe much to Derek. We are a small company that published magazines exclusively about HP mobile products from 1985-1997. From 1997-present we have published our magazine in support of users of Microsoft's Window CE O.S.
One would think that it would be a no-brainer that folks at HP and Microsoft would appreciate, respond, and get behind our efforts. After all we supported their users and promoted their products. However, seldom did anyone in any authority at HP ever "get it" in a way that was helpful to us. (I am sure many folks with enthusiast Web sites can relate.)
To make a long story short, after a number of very frustrating years trying to commincate with Microsoft, Derek got it. He actually responded to my emails. He was open to and worked with us in many win-win situations such as giving out our magazines at Fan-Fests and trade shows and getting subs to Microsoft employees. Derek really set the stage for us to do a number of creative things with various folks at Microsoft that in the long run benefit our readers and advertisers.
Frankly, it is an ongoing business challenge to produce what we think is a quality magazine, at consumer prices, in what still is a niche, especially in the age of the Internet. Derek's kind words and his responsiveness to our ideas, has made a significant difference in allowing us to continue and move forward.
one of many...
...todd
Linear Mode
LinkBacks (?)
