IT hacks: the shocking truth revealed

FOLLOWING MS' GAFFE in leaking its secret thoughts on a Wired hack, it is perhaps germane to share with you some other examples of spin paramedics being rather careless with their briefing documents.

Such blunders have resulted in a number of shock revelations over the years. Our esteamed (sic) editor, Mike Magee, is referred to by Microsoft UK as ‘a grizzled old veteran with a fearsome reputation'.

Another hack who shall remain nameless is noted by Intel as being ‘a hopeless old buffer who hasn't got a clue what we do.' A hapless German journalist is reputed to be ‘a humourless oaf' by another company and please spare a thought for the highly-thought of (by himself) UK techy scribe who has been sitting in press conferences for more than ten years blissfully unaware that the suits he's talking to are, to a man, thinking ‘so this is the smug, boring person who thinks the world revolves around him.'

I once asked Steve Ballmer if I could have a look at the briefing notes he'd been given on me prior to interviewing him. He just smiled. µ

See also:
Hack gets his Microsoft file