Today we are interviewing Rob Weir from RobWeir.com.  Enjoy.

1) Who are you and what is your website about?

I am Rob Weir, a 41-year old troublemaker from Westford, Massachusetts.  My blog is called “An Antic Disposition”.  Although I occasionally touch on topics ranging from gardening to home-brewing, the central focus is on the intersection of open source software, open standards and public policy, especially concerning document format standards.  It is a relatively eclectic topic, but one which has received a good amount of attention in recent years.

2) Why did you start your blog?

I started blogging in 2006.  Why?  Writing helps me clarify my own thoughts, forcing me to structure my arguments.  Having an audience of critical readers forces me to do this more rigorously. But I never really had a specific goal or intent.  It was experimental from the start.  It still is.

3) What has been the most explosive post on your blog and why?

In terms of visits and press coverage, the most explosive blog post was called Doing the Microsoft Shuffle: Algorithm Fail in Browser Ballot”.  That was a good, solid post, with original analysis. But it also was newsworthy, since it dealt with a Microsoft-EU settlement, and that attracted the press.  And the post also had some hardcore technical details that attracted a different audience.  So there was something for everyone to like.

4) What is the craziest/most interesting exchange you’ve seen in your blog comments and why?

The craziest comment I saw was in a post where I was critical of a decision Microsoft made in Microsoft Office 2007.  One comment was a foul, profanity-laced scatalogic personal attack.  I had to moderate it, of course.  But I did trace the IP address back…to microsoft.com.  I think that qualifies for “crazy”.

5) What is the best article for a new reader on your blog to see? (please provide a link for inclusion in the article)

For a general audience, not too technical, I’d start with How to Crush Dissent .

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