I've been working on a story on open source software and have discovered, from calls to about 10 major technology companies, that most of the experts on open source were out of the country just when I needed them. (I dunno, maybe they're all at some huge two-week open-source gathering in Latvia that I don't know about.)
The "communications" people for these companies, or their PR firms, always asked me for my deadline. Then the majority of the 10 people I called either told me they wouldn't be able to get me an expert in the time frame I gave them (no one at all was available for two weeks?), or called later and said they tried really hard, but the expert I needed to talk with was traveling and out of touch.
Gosh, you'd think these large companies could afford to give their people cell phones or BlackBerries! So sad to leave them isolated like that. I think even Latvia has cell phone reception and email access these days...
Some companies representatives simply never got back to me, behaving just like my friend. I'm pretty sure I know what THAT means. It was just something they didn't want to do. But they weren't willing to say so up front.
Not surprisingly, it's completely different when the PR person contacts me first. They email me with something great the company they represent has done. Then they call to follow up. Then they have an expert ready to roll within days. I guess they tell them to stay in town until I've called?
Interestingly, one public relations person kept in touch with me as I moved my deadline on the open source story back several times. Finally I told her not to worry about a deadline. I figure open source is an interesting topic and I could always write a story for our Web site no matter when I got the information. Funny, since I said I could wait, I haven't heard back from her.
If she's reading this, I'd just like to say again that yes, I'd still like to talk to your expert on open source. You know where to find me. I can wait, but if possible, I'd love it not to be forever.
