The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Psa — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:06:28 GMT

Glancing at your post I saw a diagram with several CARs in it and thought you were going to write about LISP data structures.

Back on topic, there are parking meters in London earning considerably more than the workers in the adjacent shops. Which must be depressing.

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Ian — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:20:20 GMT

Are all 'first day at Microsoft' stories about Bill Gates' car?

http://blogs.msdn.com/oldnewthing/archive/2007/09/26/5131601.aspx

Based on a sample size of two... ;-)

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Jonathan Tappan — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:42:14 GMT

Wait a minute. Is Bill Gates really so productive that wasting 30 seconds of his time will cost the company tens of thousands of dollars?

Maybe Microsoft should start closely monitoring the amount of time that he spends in the bathroom.

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Scott — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:11:55 GMT

Wait a second, Bill Gates doesn't have his own parking spot at Microsoft?

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

AJ — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:21:44 GMT

From now on, I want confirmation from the man himself on these stories. They reek of urban legend. And why the weird entrancement? I have had the opportunity to meet Bill at conferences on a couple occasions and once when I was still in High School. He was very approachable and personable, not the type of person at all who seems like he wants to be revered in this way. It probably creeps him out a little bit.

[I doubt he remembers these little incidents. Do you remember that time you had to wait an extra ten seconds for a parking space five years ago? -Raymond]

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Huh — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:38:59 GMT

Maybe Bill lost his badge and needed a new one?

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Scott Yost — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 22:40:13 GMT

This actually happened to me in 2001. The conversation actually went like

"Hey, I think somebody is trying to get into that space"

"Oooh, who is it, Bill Gates?"

And it was. And then corporate security shooed us all out of the parking garage and into a hallway. I bet the incident happened multiple times because the line to get your badge taken is in a very inconvenient place.

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

rconde01 — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:21:27 GMT

I think they probably just have a Bill Gates look-a-like they send in to humble the new recruits

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

bramster — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:29:05 GMT

"I bet the incident happened multiple times because the line to get your badge taken is in a very inconvenient place."

It's been fixed in Vista. :)

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Srdjan — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:04:50 GMT

Obviously, this happened before 2001/2, when Bill's office was in same building as security office. Today, this situation cannot repeat :)

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

AaronBur — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 01:13:28 GMT

I ran into the same thing during my first internship in 2001. Back then, Bill and Steve both had reserved parking spots right outside the main security office in Building 8. Every week, the new interns got their badges right around 1:00 pm and Bill probably ran into them on Mondays coming back from lunch.

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

GreaseMonkey — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 01:36:30 GMT

Well, he might lose his ID badge again, and then nobody would know who he was.

If you were to give them all sticky-shoes, they might be able to queue up on the walls of the building, saving space.

University Update - Bill Gates - The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 02:46:33 GMT

PingBack from http://www.universityupdate.com/Technology/Bill_Gates/5685322.aspx

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

ChrisMcB — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 02:55:51 GMT

Why the weird entrancement? I dunno, you'll have to ask the bright eyed interns yourself.

When I was an intern I went to the intern dinner at Bill's house (before he built is new one) After dinner a dozen or so interns were gathered around chatting with Bill. As it was time to go, I walked up to him and shook his hand, and thanked him for dinner. The rest of the group stood around like deer in a headline with their mouths wide open. Looking as if "you can shake his hand?"

This story doesn't even come close to reeking of urban legend.

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Mr Cranky — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 05:46:12 GMT

@ChrisMcB: ..."dear in a headline..."?

OK, that's probably a typo.

I think Mr. Gates should just work 30 seconds later rather than lose the company $1000s.

I used to work for H. Ross Perot in the early 80s (EDS on Forest Lane in Dallas). When he decided to show up in his helicopter, sometimes interns got splattered all over the golf course.

マイクロソフトでの初日:そこにだけは立ってはいけない

囚人のジレンマな日々 — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 07:51:19 GMT

マイクロソフトでの初日:そこにだけは立ってはいけない

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Chad — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:52:41 GMT

@Scott:

"Wait a second, Bill Gates doesn't have his own parking spot at Microsoft?"

If I'm not mistaken, that *was* his parking spot at Microsoft. His office is in a different building now.

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Merit — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:32:45 GMT

One important detail is missing from this story - What does Bill Gates drive to work?

Probably not his 959.

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Lauren Smith — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 11:51:21 GMT

Jeez, my BG story has him in his car as well.

Based on a few runs of my Bill Gates Monte Carlo location profiler, BG spends almost 100% of his time in his car.

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

phill — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:01:45 GMT

[Quote]

Wait a minute. Is Bill Gates really so productive that wasting 30 seconds of his time will cost the company tens of thousands of dollars?

[/Quote]

Maybe not tens of thousands of dollars - but maybe $9,000?

http://www.templetons.com/brad/billg.html

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Mike — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:02:12 GMT

Hold on, Bill Gates drives his own car? Talk about wasting time...

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

/. — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:13:14 GMT

> Bill probably ran into them on Mondays coming back from lunch

1. Get intern job at Microsoft

2. Get run into by Bill Gates in his car

3. Sue.

4. Profit!

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Jim — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 19:56:13 GMT

Maybe Microsoft should start closely monitoring the amount of time that he spends in the bathroom.

</blockquote>

Didn't you realize that Bill's turds are valued at 60-70K a pieces.

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

KC — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:23:01 GMT

Speaking of weird billg-isms ... Yahoo is currently running a headline "Burgers with Bill". Billg is being interviewed at a fast food place, sitting at a table by the window. A guy walks up to the window and mouths "can you spare some change?". :)

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=5221983&ch=4227541&src=news

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Patrick Farrell — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:41:56 GMT

> It's been fixed in Vista. :)

@bramster: good one. +1

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Cooney — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 23:57:01 GMT

> One important detail is missing from this story - What does Bill Gates drive to work?

My guess is it's a lexus.

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

SvenGroot — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:37:09 GMT

If I was Bill Gates and knew I was probably going to drive through a line of interns that day, I'd go to work driving an old Citroën 2CV. Just to confuse them. :)

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

abhinaba — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 07:37:57 GMT

I remeber going to the same place for my badge when I went to work in redmond 2 years back. I also remember someone telling me that Bill Gates' office is in one of the buldings in that cluster.

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

Cooney — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:58:20 GMT

how about taking a chauffer driven honda?

re: The first day at Microsoft: Don't just stand there

microbe — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 02:48:18 GMT

Is this a reserved slot for BG? If yes, definitely a badly chosen one.

Suspicious of the story.