Get Personal With Microsoft Through Blogs

This morning I received an email from Mike Zintel an Engineering manager at Microsoft with the .NET Compact Framework.  He was telling me about the number of views he has received on his blog.  Now I don't know if he was bragging, maybe just sending me factual information similar to a report I had sent him, or being funny.  (I'm sure it wasn't bragging)  In any case, I'm glad he did, it prompted me to look up his blog and find out more about this guy I don't really know or have ever seen for that matter but who I communicate over email with for work related issues.  Mike is an interesting guy, he tells a great life story about himself which puts me more on a personal level with him.  I think this has to be the coolest thing about blogging.  Here I am sitting in a Microsoft office where I have as good of an opportunity I can ask for to meet other Microsoft people but I still don't really connect with these great people here on a personal level.  I remember before being at Microsoft, I would not have even thought about knowing these people besides User Group meetings.  Now with the blogs, I feel like I get to know them and have a relationship with them.  Maybe I'm being a bit sappy, but it's the way I feel.  Ah, "the way I feel"!  What has my wife done to me?  Back to Mike.  Mike recently started his blog and seems to have a knack for it.  He has a great intro to himself Meet Mike including great pictures, he has what looks to be an in depth entry on Advanced Memory Management in the .NET Compact Framework, as well as a funny and insightful view on software developers and teams titled The Value of Diversity.