Tim Berners-Lee: Maven o' Mystery

I am a frequent user of W3C website, in particular for its validation service for my web development projects. In generally, when I create a web site I assume that users have no idea on what the site is about. Since, the internet is a non-verbal communication environment; I also tend to give a brief description and an instruction on what my site is about like what you can find at W3C page and other websites. This is just to make sure that users will be able to figure out if the site is what they after or not. In addition, they will not be left wondering what is going on or what is going to happen. Similar to any manual for a device, web instruction is there in a hope to help users by providing information to users. The choice of using the manual or not, it is up to the individual; some might find is helpful and some might not. On the other hand, some web sites might not have the best design or can i say not all the web site is of our taste.

Tim Berners-Lee is a famous man and a very intelligent man; otherwise we would probably not want to hear his opinions in the first place. Consequently, I can imagine how many requests he must have received in a day, it got to be a lot. I understand why it must be hard to reach him. If he has his e-mail posted, not only he will receive a million of spam messages but also a thousand of good intension messages will get mixed up with those spams. Then, Tim Berners-Lee could have a hard time trying to separate spam messages from real messages.

Nevertheless, it is the Internet and it’s the United States of America so you are free to express your opinion. I think that is one of the reasons why we are all here at Internet Evolution. And, I like reading your postings. Anyway, I am very surprise on how this discussion has taken the turn. I think it is more of misunderstanding and somewhat miscommunication.

Nicole overreacted to the process in place to contact Tim. Janet overreacted to Nicole's comments. I don't think we really know what Tim really thinks about all of this (if he's even aware of what's going on).

I understand why the W3C, and Mr. Berners-Lee in particular, would to give clear and detailed instructions to everyone as to the best ways to make contact. Let's face it, they're deeply involved with a system that is having an effect on nearly every person on the planet. (Of course, the instructions apparently contain an unwarranted dig at Microsoft. Yes, we all know that much of Microsoft makes needs vast improvment, but you're not saying you're still digging out from "I Love You" virus in 2007, are you Tim?)

That's a lot to deal with, and if they want to limit contact, they're all perfectly within their rights.

On the other hand, they (W3C, Tim, Janet, et. al.) all have to understand that many of us are extremely interested in knowing what they're thinking, and if we feel that we're being shut out or ignored, may not respond too kindly or with enough empathy and understanding (Nicole!) of the overwhelming responsibilities they've (voluntarily) taken on.

Let's all just lighten up and realize we can't always get what we want, we can't please everyone, and sometimes, there's just not enough hours in the day to get it all done which is why we put rules in place, and why we get upset when we run into obstacles to our progress.

And for the record Insultant, email did not originate as a Web application. It is an Internet application - in fact it is the original "killer app" on the network - and preceded the Web by a couple of decades.

I apologize for the long post, and all of the errors of fact, fiction, omission, commission, spelling, grammar, and whatever else for which I'll probably get nailed.

You can reach me if you want, but that doesn't mean I'll answer.

My contact information is located in the About Us page where all relevant information about the site is found.

See here: http://www.internetevolution.com/document.asp?doc_id=134133

No rules, just a plain ol' email address. You will also find the email addresses for everyone else on the editorial staff, sans rules. And, you can pretty much guarantee that if you send me an email, I will respond, with my own fingers, not those of a robot. Because, frankly, I'm not all that important. But thanks for wanting to contact me.

However, if it would make you feel better, I'll throw a link to my email address in my profile as well, right after I make mention of my obsession with the Mary Tyler Moore Show, deal?

For someone so critical of how to contact someone else with such a prominent public profile I find it kind of ironic that the link to your profile contains no information on how you can be contacted...

http://www.internetevolution.com/profile.asp?piddl_userid=169
 

The risk of leading discussion based on personal anecdote is obvious, as personal issues will obscure several key points.  Personal communication with prominent people in the field is often difficult or even not recommended as a first course of action.  

While in Colombia, I once wrote Tim Berners Lee to inquire about the possibility of his delivering a lecture.  Someone from his office responded quickly and politely, informing me he could not give any lectures before 2009. He must be a very busy person.  

However, the question is a good one: What are the opinions of the future of the Internet by one of the most important WWW pioneers?  Tim Berners-Lee's work on the future of the internet is frequently published:

Below is a citation for one of his pieces, followed by a quotation:

Hearing on the "Digital Future of the United States: Part I 

http://dig.csail.mit.edu/2007/03/01-ushouse-future-of-the-web.html

"That Web remains a universal platform: independent of any specific hardware device, software platform, language, culture, or disability. That the Web does not become controlled by a single company -- or a single country."

So, my suggestion is to read similar articles, to write a new discussion thread on the history of WWW or on the Semantic Web, for instance.

Wow. What a power down.

I started out reading a funny rant by Nicole but now, after slogging through Janet's prickly post, I've lost the will to live.

What better way to show up that ruthless serial kidder, Nicole, than with a 500-word tsk-tsking about how Tim's so terribly famous and busy and if he seems hard-to-reach, well, that's just your own damn fault, you filthy wh-, er, I mean, journalists!

Before, I had no opinion on Tim whatsoever. Now, I most definitely do. 

Mission accomplished, Ms. Daly.

Hello, all.

My name is Janet Daly, and for the last 9 years, I've served as a member of the W3C Communications Team. Apologies in advance for the length of the comment.

Given the comments to date, I think it's time for me to wave hello and answer the facts in Nicole's post as well as the comments publicly. I'm not going to focus on her presumptions of his personality - there's plenty in the blogosphere that can help you figure out for yourself whether what she asserts is true, most recently by Stephen Fry in the Guardian. Instead, I'd like to address the issue of whether the hoops are put up there to cause someone to trip rather than get through.

Let's start with a little fact that turns the whole rant on its ear. Tim is the only person who reads his mail. There's no handler, no screener, no extra set of eyes and hands who go through his inbox. He's a regular person - maybe more regular that some of the folks who read and contribute here - and not what anyone would call a presshound. The bottom line is anyone and everyone can - and sometimes do - send him mail for reasons only they decide. 

It's true that Tim has published his own list of tips for how to get your press request through, including a note to cc the W3C Communications Team. It's worth noting that there are days when the number of legitimate media requests we receive from people who follow these guidelines can be over 10/day or more. That's not 10 mails a day, that's 10 requests from legitimate journalists per day, from around the world, who'd like to interview Tim.

In the case of press requests, we ask for W3C's Comm Team to be cc'ed, so the requests can all have followup. The volume of interview requests we get now mean that we might end up with 25-50 interesting and relevant requests and only three interview slots we can grant, given Tim's time constraints and those of the journalists who write in. 

As for "no calls permitted", every member of the W3C Communications Team has a working phone, with a phone number and personal email address posted on the W3C Web site, no more than 2 clicks from the homepage, under Newsroom/Press. Most journalists have had no problem calling me and asking when they'll get their Tim interview.

Based on our conversation Friday, I don't think Nicole found this information, which might have made her experience a lot easier. She did sent a form pitch letter for contributions - other W3C colleagues received nearly identical letters - to our press address, and she was in queue.

I don't disagree that it can be hard to get through. But it has to do with the sheer number of requests we're getting. Nothing more, nothing less. As for people disappointed by the answers they receive, well, that's a different post I suppose.

Thanks for the chance to post here. If you made it to the end of this comment, well then, thank you for your patience too.

The man stood at the basis of a media revolution that changed society––and got nothing out of it. He could have been the richest man on the planet, but let others run off and make tons of money.

Thank god he didn't sell out immediately, yet I'd still give him a break and allow him his frustration...

If I may speak up for the overdog: I can't really blame There-are some-who-call-me-Tim for hiding from the monster he created. I know my own Website is virtually impossible to access.

Rumor has it, he's holed up in a Havana hotel, drinking nothing but distilled water and refusing to trim his fingernails.