A story of three requests.
I’m paraphrasing, but I received these three requests today via Twitter direct messages, leading variously to an email, an instant message conversation and a Google Doc.
Can you guess which I responded to?
Request 1
You know someone I know. I’m a teacher and we’re trying to do xyz – we’ve tried everything, asked our techies and we’re stumped. Could you help?
Request 2
Doug, I know you’ve said recently on Twitter that you don’t like doing what I’m about to ask, but I’m going to ask anyway. Could you pimp xyz for me? It replicates the functionality of one of the biggest websites in the world but it’s OK because there’s a competition. Perhaps you could add it to ‘Things I Learned This Week’?
Request 3
Can I twist your arm to join in a conversation next week? Here’s a link…
<follows link to Google Doc>
Here’s the plan: I’m asking a bunch of people I know and respect write a guest post each around topic xyz, also posting it on their blog to start a conversation. I won’t edit your post because I trust you.
Guessed yet?
Number 1. It's the genuine request for help and you're a nice guy.
Correct! And one more…
I was also going to go for number one. I'm going to guess you wouldn't even have vaguely entertained the idea of number two…
Nope, spot on. :-)
Did you find the last sentence of request 3 more than slightly patronising?
That was my paraphrase! ;-)
Surely it was 2! :)