phil wrote:Krop as a 21 year old living in the states I often had moments like 'Wow- I live in America - This is me' type moments. Did you have any moments where you had to remind your self 'Wow - this is me - I'm not dreaming' moments. When handed your pass did you feel like Charlie winning his golden ticket to the Chocolate Factory?
Every day. I am lucky in two respects - firstly that I have been able to pursue my two passions (writing and motorcycle racing) profesionally. And secondly, that my wife is so supportive of me that she is shouldering the main financial burden of the household while I try to turn this into a profit-making pursuit.
phil wrote:You talk of chatting with Mary Spies 'off-the-record', are you having to find the parameters of decency regarding on/off the record comments or is there a journalists code of conduct within the paddock?
Yes, I'm always trying to find the parameters of decency as you put it. Most of the time, though, it's fairly obvious, people will say "all this is completely off the record", so you always know where you are. Mostly, it's just a matter of ensuring you don't breach the trust of the person you are talking to. When I chat to Mary Spies, she knows I'm a journalist, so she is careful. I suspect that some people also test you, feed you little nuggets and see what you do with them, to find if you can be trusted. So much of this job is about trust and relationships.
If there is a code of conduct, I am not aware of it.
phil wrote:(I dont give a rats a$$ either way but..) Do you have any formal journalistic experience or qualification or was this born simply of passion?
No journalism background, I did spend years as a translator and a technical editor, though.
phil wrote:Did you have any moments of "wow this is totally over-the-top pampering"?
When Fiat asked if I'd like to go to Qatar, I hesitated a long time. I wasn't comfortable with it at all. It was only after talking to my wife about it that I decided to accept their invitation. They paid for my flights and accommodation (I paid for my meals myself). So, yes and no, I suppose. When I saw what my flights cost, it felt like over-the-top pampering. But having arrived, it just felt like another race weekend (i.e. dividing my time between the hotel and the track).
phil wrote:Did you have any moments of "wow I expected more or better than this"?
Never.
phil wrote:Will you turn around looking for another named David the first time Rossi walks past and says "Hay David, how you doing?"
Probably not. Again, it's about building relationships. I think Rossi probably knows my face now, if not my name, as I'm at just about every debrief he gives at every race I attend.
phil wrote:Obviously Motomatters.com is your job number 1 but how are you going to use this opportunity to improve the site besides the blog feature?
The same as every race weekend. Building relationships and learning more. I did interviews with Livio Suppo, Kenny Noyes and Martin Wimmer. I spoke to a lot of people, and that helps me with deepening my understanding of the situation.
However, the real improvements to the site will come when I can afford to hire a designer, a sysadmin, and one or two other people to help me out.
phil wrote:Will you be at all the races this season?
The aim is to be at as many of the European rounds as funds allow, plus at least one US round (probably Indy). The real issue is money. I badly need advertisers, though this is starting to come.
phil wrote:Can I have a job?
If you're prepared to work long hours for no pay, I might think about it
