Matthew Woodget: Microsoftie & Avid Photographer
I had the pleasure of meeting the next featured member of the Seattle social media community through Jeris Miller, a good friend of mine. His name is Matthew Woodget, and let me tell you, in getting to know him over just a couple of hours, he is seriously a brilliant dude. And when it comes to social media, he knows his stuff.
When he’s not working at that little company called Microsoft, Matthew can be found out in the world, taking amazing photographs of it. Let me tell you, he’s got loads of talent. SERIOUSLY. If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself! 
Please get to know our next featured member, Mr. Matthew Woodget.
Thanks again for the opportunity, Matt.
The Basics:
1. What is your name?
Matthew Woodget
2. E-mail?
Twitter @mattwoodget and ssmp at fluidpixel (.com)
3. What is your occupation/company?
Sr. Product Manager, Microsoft
4. Originally from? When and how did you end up in the Greater Seattle area?
England, United Kingdom. Relocated to California from the United Kingdom. with Intel in 2004. Relocated from California to Seattle with Microsoft in 2007.
5. How can people find you on the web?
www.fluidpixel.com or just Bing “Matthew Woodget.”
Social Media:
6. Why do you like social media?
Social media facilitates getting things done by helping me connect with information and to people that share personal or professional interests. Most social media approaches and tools do this in rich and compelling ways. Due to the rapid and responsive natures of the medium, it is easy to measure your success and quickly identify if approaches are not working. This enables tactical changes in how you are engaging to assist you in getting to results faster.
I like how social media takes advantages of the connected technologies from a human perspective. The ever-increasing development of technology from a broad range of companies has resulted in a collection of engaging approaches to social interactions on the web. By no means is this journey over. That in itself is inspiring; what’s next!
7. How do you utilize social media?
I utilize social media for personal and professional purposes.
For the latter, I have used it as a way to reach out to customers and partners to support my mission as an effective corporate citizen. From a project-based perspective, I’ve used it to supplement traditional approaches with our marketing.
For the former, I use it to promote my personal projects, primarily photography. I also use it to connect with and share information with like-minded people. I’m starting to experiment with ways to use it to help me either get my two sci-fi novels published or deliver them in a new, creative way via social media itself. Stay tuned.
I also use social media as a way to seek to play as valuable a role as possible as a “node” in the global network that is humanity. An example of this would be helping to promote the plight of a friend of a friend of ours who lost his job and health benefits while laid up, awaiting open-heart surgery (For full and accurate details of the story, see digg.com/people/Nate_s_Story). I didn’t do much, but every little helps. It’s something I would encourage everyone using social media to do. Ultimately, it’s about network effects. We are all worth more together than the sum of our parts.
Although I’ve explored some approaches to social media, I’m very much aware of the vast wealth of other uses of the medium, which I will continue to experiment with, time permitting.
8. What is one thing that mainstream population should know about social media?
It doesn’t bite to try it out. It’s here to stay. It’s a part of the evolution of technology, the Internet, media, and communication. If not used properly, it can bite, though, so always use the best common sense available to you and your faculties.
9. If people follow you on Twitter, what can they expect?
A snapshot of things I see as valuable. You might like most of it or very little of it. You probably won’t hate it all, but you probably won’t love it all either. We are all different and that is the value we bring—that you bring. It’s the potential of all the little overlapping Venn diagrams that activates the value of the network. I’m doing the best I can on my little node. Oh, and a part of “doing your best” is realizing there is always more to do and ways to do those things better.
10. How would you describe the social media scene in Seattle?
The overarching theme is that people are really cool, very engaged, very passionate, and very welcoming. I guess that’s four themes. Either way, they all roll up into a unique approach. Maybe it’s the fresh air, the love of the outdoors (What are we all doing online then? ), or the interface between the hippie-esque undertones of the Northwest and the progressively pervasive technology we all thrive on here that results in a particular flavor of social media junky in Seattle.
11. Do you have a good social media success story or “wow” moment?
- Getting customer service issues resolved quicker than was possible by calling customer support lines with major companies and brands. Let alone the countless times the network has helped answer my questions from a VOC-free paint purchase to unblocking drains.
- The personal connection with customers that social media affords.
- The countless creative media outreaches by companies that “get” social media.
- Getting connected to people and events that I never would have thought to specifically “search” for by using the Internet or traditional methods.
- People’s generosity.
12. Are there any social media events or conferences in the future you would like to let people know about? Please include dates, locations, etc. Where can more information be found?
Check out www.smcseattle.com for upcoming events.
Just For Fun:
13. What are your hobbies?
Diarist. Traveller. Food and drink aficionado fan. Technology lover. Photographer. Sci-fi writer (when I get a chance) that has produced two, as of yet unpublished, novels.
14. Favorite vacation spot? Thing to do there?
There is this really nice planet in the Milky Way, third out from a rather average star, where all sorts of life has sprung up. The life has shaped the world in wonderful ways. There is always something to do. The locals are, by in large, fantastic, great hosts and good food is never far away.
In all seriousness, I’ve been to around 33 countries so far and I feel like there is just so much of this wonderful planet left to see, its people to meet, and its beauty to photograph.
P.S. I would be remise as an ex-pat of the United Kingdom if I didn’t suggest you visit there to enjoy the vast tract of history, real beer, and some lovely countryside.
15. Favorite restaurant in Seattle? Favorite food?
I can’t reveal my favorite here, DM me @mattwoodget if you want to find out. My wife has me under strict instructions not to share it for fear of the small, independent eatery losing that certain Je Ne Sais Quoi.
I’ve been known to be partial for Indian and Mexican cuisine. That’ll throw you off the scent of our favorite restaurant, too.
16. Favorite things to do in Seattle in the summer?
Make the most of the outdoors.
17. Most embarrassing CD you own?
CDs? What are those?
18. Any hidden talents?
I can juggle with three balls for almost 30 seconds or so.
19. What would you like everyone to know about you?
That I think you are great!
Matthew Woodget Links
- Matthew Woodget’s Blog
- Matthew Woodget on Twitter
- Matthew Woodget on Flickr
- Matthew Woodget on LinkedIn
- Matthew Woodget on FriendFeed
- Matthew Woodget’s FluidPixel.com
- Microsoft Office US on Twitter
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
