After Simon Willison wrote about how accurate questions from ChatGPT were when he asked “I am interviewing Simon Willison. What are some good questions I can ask them?”, I had to give it a try. Simon’s had some questions specific to the areas he works in, web development and open source, so I was curious to see what might be in one with my name.
I was particularly curious because there are so many “Dan York”s out there on the Internet.
Alas, my response from ChatGPT was boringly generic:
I am interviewing Dan York. What are some good questions I can ask them?
- Can you tell us about your background and how you became involved in your current industry/field?
- Can you walk us through a recent project or accomplishment that you are particularly proud of?
- How do you stay current and informed about developments in your industry?
- Can you discuss a challenge or obstacle you have faced in your career and how you overcame it?
- How do you prioritize and manage your workload and responsibilities?
- How do you approach problem-solving and decision-making in your role?
- Can you discuss a time when you had to adapt to a change or new technology in your field?
- Can you talk about a team or collaboration experience and the role you played in its success?
- Can you describe a specific way in which you have contributed to improving processes or efficiencies in your organization?
- What are your long-term career goals and how do you plan to achieve them?
This could be for any of the many Dan Yorks who are out there. 😀
(But not a bad set of questions…)
So then I decided to try to be a bit more specific. I next associated my name with my employer, the Internet Society. The results were actually decent questions to ask anyone associated with the Internet Society (but not necessarily directly with me):
I am interviewing Dan York of the Internet Society. What are some good questions I can ask them?
- Can you tell us about the mission and goals of the Internet Society?
- How does the Internet Society work to promote and protect internet freedom and human rights?
- Can you speak to the role of the Internet Society in addressing the digital divide and ensuring access to the internet for all?
- How does the Internet Society work to promote and support a free and open internet?
- Can you discuss any current initiatives or projects that the Internet Society is working on?
- How does the Internet Society collaborate with other organizations and governments to advance internet policy and governance?
- Can you speak to the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach in addressing internet-related issues?
- How does the Internet Society work to promote and support internet innovation and the development of new technologies?
- Can you discuss any challenges or obstacles the Internet Society faces in achieving its mission and goals?
- How can individuals and organizations get involved and support the work of the Internet Society?
Next I decided to try specifying the state where I live, Vermont. Maybe there’s another Dan York in Vermont who owns a business, because I don’t, and so these questions were completely off for me. They could be anyone living in Vermont who owns a business:
I am interviewing Dan York of Vermont. What are some good questions I can ask them?
- What inspired you to start your business in Vermont?
- What challenges have you faced as a business owner in Vermont?
- How do you see Vermont's economy and business landscape evolving in the next few years?
- Can you tell me about a project or accomplishment that you're particularly proud of in your business?
- How do you work with other local businesses and organizations in Vermont to support the community?
- How do you stay informed and educated on changes in Vermont's business regulations and policies?
- What advice would you give to someone who is considering starting a business in Vermont?
- How do you see Vermont's unique culture and environment impacting your business?
- Can you tell me about a specific way your business is environmentally or socially conscious?
- How do you see Vermont's location impacting your business in terms of logistics and transportation?
Just for grins I decided to go directly into associating my name with one of my blogs. The questions are again a good set of generic questions that could be for anyone’s blog:
I am interviewing Dan York who writes the blog "Disruptive Conversations". What are some good questions I can ask them?
- Can you tell us about your background and how you got started writing the "Disruptive Conversations" blog?
- What is the main focus of your blog and what topics do you typically cover?
- Can you share some of your most popular or impactful blog posts and what you think made them successful?
- How do you stay current with the latest trends and developments in the industry you write about?
- What are some of the most common challenges you face as a blogger, and how do you overcome them?
- How do you engage with your readers and build a community around your blog?
- Can you discuss any notable collaborations or partnerships you've had as a result of your blog?
- How do you measure the success of your blog, and what are your goals for its future?
- How do you stay motivated to continuously write and publish quality content on your blog?
- Can you share some tips for those who are interested in starting their own blog or writing content?
And that was as far as I decided to go.
All of these, though, are useful sets of questions. If someone were looking to do an interview in these areas, the questions are not a bad place to start.
Interesting to see various uses of ChatGPT.
