b5media

December 26th,2005

Blogger Interview: Jason Bean

By Rhys Alexander

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Jason Bean, the wily and whimsical force behind Office 12 Watch. But there’s more to him than genius and technical know-how: along with his fantastic character and spectacular sense of humor, he’s also a devoted family man, husband, and proud father! That’s right: the perfect man. Sorry ladies; he’s taken.

As if to prove just how wonderful he is, Jason was kind enough to take time out of his well-deserved holiday break to answer questions from little ol’ me. Quite the guy, don’t you agree? Have fun learning all about him…here’s Jason Bean!

You’re my first ‘male’ interview: wow! How does it feel to be a rare male blogger in this b5 sea of women?

I don’t guess I really realized that I was in the minority around here until you mentioned it. Being the one of the token guys around the office is fairly normal for me. I spent 7 years in the travel industry and most travel offices seem to be dominated by the female species.

What do you write for b5, and what are your other projects?

I’ve taken over the Office 12 Watch blog from John Evans. Other projects….other projects? Hmmm, I do some web design on the side and my personal blog. Then there’s the stuff I’m working on for curing world poverty, hunger and peace, oh and the garage always needs cleaned out too.

Behind the intelligence and the technical know-how, who is Jason Bean?

A 30-something husband and father of two wonderful kids. Son of a preacher, and youngest of three boys, the other two are pastors too! I enjoy lots of different things, grew up in the country but obviously appreciate all kinds of technology and gadgets too. I was the class clown in school. I’ve almost died three times. Is that enough about me?

Did anyone ever call you Mr. Bean? And did you want to smack them?

Not really until much later in life. I started college with the intention of becoming a high school teacher. During my student teaching my first semester, my fourth graders all called me Mr. Bean, but I don’t think they were familiar with British comedy at the time. That took some getting used to, but I don’t think I ever felt like smacking anyone. But Soy, Garbanzo and Lima are all FIGHTIN’ words!

What are three words that describe you?

Opinionated, average geeky guy.

What inspired your interest in Office 12 Watch?

I’ve subscribed to Jeremy Wright’s blog for awhile, so I’ve stayed in contact with the development of b5media. I originally applied as a writer for another blog when they first got started but was passed over at that time. When I saw the opportunity for the Office 12 Watch blog, I tried again and made it to the big dance. I figured this would be a great opportunity to combine my interest in tech software with getting the scoop on things and sharing information with the everyday user.

Oh no! Bill Gates was kidnapped by pirates and only one man can take over Microsoft: Jason Bean. What would your first order of business be?

Are we talking “Arggh! Matey’s” type pirates or software pirates? Guess that doesn’t matter though, hmmm, 1st order of business. I think it would be hunting down those pirates and saving Mr. Gates. I think he’s probably the best person to put back in charge of things. I’m sure if I did that I could get a position in the Xbox team somehow.

Are there any developments in the computer/software industry you’re excited about?

I’m really excited about all the development of RSS and the opportunity it’s going to bring for even more personalized communication. I’m also excited about more and more gadgets and appliances becoming connected through broadband and internet. Of course that could lead to our own version of “Terminator” and that probably wouldn’t be good.

Could you share a favorite childhood memory?

I had a really good childhood all around. I grew up in a really small town and spent plenty of time exploring a large wooded area behind our house on foot and on bike (I was mountain biking before it was cool). I was also really close to my grandmother and spent lots of time at her house, so those were all good memories.

You have two adorable children—what is fatherhood like? Is it different than you expected?

First thank you! I have to agree, I have been very blessed with beautiful kids that are just great. I always thought I was put on this earth to be a husband and father. It’s very rewarding but also very challenging. I find I’m turning into my dad more and more every day, which is okay, because every day I realize he wasn’t quite as clueless as I thought.

When you’re not being a computer genius, what sort of things do you like to do?

I do spend a lot of time on the computer. Either surfing the web and reading blogs or working on some websites for clients. I enjoy watching TV and movies, and playing Xbox. I’m hoping Santa or my Mil (mother-in-law) comes through with an Xbox 360 for me. I’m a big Colts fan too, so I’m going to enjoy watching them play for the rest of the season. Oh, there’s also the newest version of the PC game, Civilization IV that I waste a lot of time with as well.

Your personal blog is a wonderful blend of all sorts of topics: tech news, current events, opinions, parenting tips…would you ever want to start a blog on any of those subjects?

Absolutely! I’ve had a lot of fun with my personal blog. The competitive spirit in me wants to see my traffic really jump on that site, but that one is purely for my enjoyment and I let myself be pretty free on that one. To answer you question though, yes, I enjoy all of those topics and wouldn’t mind starting a blog about any of them.

After you’re gone from this wild world—or while you’re still here—what is it you want people to know/remember about Jason Bean?

Funny you should ask that, I once did an exercise where you write your own obituary. The thought behind it is that if you want things said about you when you’re gone, you’ve got to live like that while you’re here. I’ve got through some tough personal struggles over the past two years when I finally got downsized out of the travel industry. It really caused me to refocus on my priorities. So, I’d like to be known as a faithful husband, dedicated father and trustworthy friend.

And finally, what do you want people to ‘get out’ of Office 12 watch?

I just want people to be able to go to the site and find the answers to the questions they have about the newest version of Office that’s on the way. Hopefully they’ll also learn some information that maybe they hadn’t thought of in the past. Once the software is fully public and on store shelves, I’d like the site to become a resource and handbook for making the most of all the features and tools of the best Office suite on the planet.