What in the world is a Developer Evangelist?

The word "evangelist" is showing up in job titles more and more these days. But what is a job like that all about? I tend to describe it as being in the "making friends and influencing people" business. But that is just my perspective.

Recently Channel 9 posted a very entertaining interview with a pair of Microsoft's Developer Evangelists. These women are not the stereotypical computer expert and not just because they are women! While those of us who have been around the computer business for a while know that a sense of humor is not just helpful but required a lot of people assume that computer people are boring and humorless. Listening to this interview may go a long way towards convincing people otherwise.

It is interesting hearing them talk about women in what is still, unfortunately, a bit of a man's world. Apparently one of the good things is short or non-existent lines at the women's room at conferences. Who knew?

Lynn Langit and Asli Bilgin also talk about the different paths that took them to their present careers. It's an interview well worth a listen.