Channel 9 started April 1, 2004 with Robert Scoble and Charles Torre having conversations with thought leaders and friends around the Microsoft campus. But it was a series of videos with the late-Bill Hill that set the spirit of the site. In long discussions Bill would talk about how Windows wasn’t the most important operating system, how he came up with ClearType while tracking animals in the woods, and how there should only be one space after a sentence.
These videos were a bold look inside Microsoft at a time when other companies were considering restrictions on employee blogging and disclosure. But these were the real conversations we would have with each other in the hallways and across the campus and we thought they were important to share with you. You can see some of our favorites below.
Over the years Channel 9 has grown, literally and figuratively. Channel 9’s code base was the foundation for the launch of Channel 10 (a site for tech enthusiasts), Channel 8 (students), Mix (web dev and designers), and TechNet Edge (IT Pro). Eventually all of these communities were brought back to Channel 9, so we welcome all of you: developers, designers, students, researchers, PM’s, and systems administrators.
We continue our charter today with deep technical discussions, shining a light into how we work and how we decide where we go next, never taking ourselves too seriously, and never running from our mistakes.
We hope you enjoy the discussion, jump into the conversation, or let us know who you would love to talk with at Microsoft. Like what you see? Shoot us an email. Don’t like what you see? Let Larry know. Want a foam Channel 9 guy? Send us a postcard.
Channel 9 Studios UPDATED
A little bit over a year ago, Golnaz, Kaitlin, and Matthew crawled out of a windowless studio and saw the sun for the first time in years. Their old manager, Larry, decided to help rebuild a studio so they could see the sun more regularly. Thus, the new Channel 9 Studio was born.
After a year of enjoying their new digs, Golnaz, Kaitlin, and Matthew, joined by Cameron and Christina, want to show you around. It's like a housewarming, but with minimal social interaction, zero small talk, and you don't need to leave the comfort of your own couch. Enjoy.