Richard W. DeVaul

Dear respected members of the Fourth Estate and other interested parties,

It has not escaped my attention that at least some of you have taken an abiding interest in my current and recent employers and, by extension, in my humble personage.  I'm flattered.

I'm fortunate enough to have one of the coolest jobs in the tech world. And no, I'm not interested in discussing what I do with anyone outside a very small circle of people I work with.   People I don't talk to about my work include trusted friends and family as well as members of the press, bloggers, etc.  I am extraordinarily unlikely to make an exception for you so it will save us both time if you fail to ask. 

For those who would like to invite me to participate in a public event, speaking engagement, panel discussion, etc. please understand the following; If your interest in my participation is in the hopes that I will speak about my work for either Google or Apple you will generally be disappointed.  I will occasionally participate in events (witness the recent Solve for X conference) but only under special circumstances and not as a presumptive spokesperson for my employer.

As much as I enjoy my brief Warholian blips on the news feed of the tech world I value my relationships with my colleagues and employers past and present far more. To avoid the appearance of speaking on technology topics that might or might not relate to my work I generally say very little.  Believe me, this isn't the fun part.  But it is my job.