Tuesday 12 August 2008

Free Software Foundation


Richard Stallman was talking to Kim Hill on Saturday. I missed her public lecture in Otago Uni last week. I enjoy mostly - please note that 'mostly', I will return to that qualification later - listening to the discourse between her and her subjects. She or someone - a dedicated team of researchers perhaps? That seems unlikely for Radio New Zealand National sounds like us - does their homework and she is seldom ill prepared. For example this weekend when Richard first referred to the operating system known as GNU/Linux she knew that when he expanded the GNU acronym - Gnus Not Unix - it was known as a recursive acronym. Impressive eh?

I wonder if this is a standard interview technique either rattle the interviewee or instil respect in the same - you don't scare me pal, I know some of your arcane jargon.

I must ask around in my formidable brigade of Radio Interviewer Colleagues (are you there Vanda?)

5 comments:

Vanda Symon said...

I believe self preservation is a motivating factor here, and years of being in girl guides and the motto "Be prepared." Vanity dictates we all want to sound intelligent and informed, and avoid looking ignorant.

Also, on a more obvious point, a spot of preparation does makes for a much better interview.

All hail Queen Kim - I wouldn't have got the recursive acronym.

Hugh Macmillan said...

Thanks Vanda.

Vanda Symon said...

I was talking to some folk at a do last night and they were commenting about a renowned international journalist, who's name escapes me because I haven't had enough coffee this morning, who got all snippy in an interview and accused Ms Hill of being unprepared.

We all enjoyed a good laugh at that one. All he did was make himself look like a puffed up, pompous ass, because we all know that one thing you can never accuse Kim Hill of, is being unprepared!

Hugh Macmillan said...

Ooooooooooooooo ... I wonder who that was?

Drink plenty coffee then get into recall mode. txt, pm, email, or phone your chums - I must know who it was.

Cliffhanger syndrome,you know?

Vanda Symon said...

John Pilger! Amazing what coffee will do.