google_recruiting.mpg (video/mpeg Object) Funny, I've watched a few videos from Microsoft lately and what impresses me most about them is how unimpressive they are. Kids, mostly, fairly bright kids I suppose, but they don't seem sure of themselves even with lofty titles such as product manager or "lead" something. They look driven alright. Driven to the point of nervousness and exhaustion. Will they do anything to offend Bill in this interview today? Thats what seems to be going through their minds. One guy has three monitors on his desk, but complains that he has been requesting LCDs for months and still has these old (looking) and rather small screened CRTs. The offices look well worn as does the furniture. Everything about these presentations (from Microsoft) looks too forced. No different really that the starched-shirt-stiff productions of IBM in the 60s and 70s, when that company was first trying to introduce itself to the rest of the world, but without the neat clothes. Contrast Microsoft's efforts to be just "regular guys" with this production from Google. Yes, it is a production, planned, and probably done with a few takes. But it looks a lot more relaxed, and the people in it really DO look like normal people, and they do this while coming off looking a lot smarter than the Geeks at MS. Makes me wonder if Bill Gates character flaws don't really infect the whole company.