You Will Be Assimilated

Blog Moving to Geeks With Blogs

2005-08-29T09:10:00.000-05:00

I have decided to join Geeks With Blogs since it is a more focused community of Microsoft developers. As such, barring any problems with the services, this will be my last post on this site. You can find new posts at http://www.geekswithblogs.net/scottkuhl or point your RSS reader at http://www.geekswithblogs.net/scottkuhl/Rss.aspx. Also, be sure to check out the other members at http://www.geekswithblogs.net/.

Absolute Beginner's Video Series to Visual Studio 2005 Express Editions

2005-08-26T09:02:00.000-05:00

Several new videos have been added the series. So if you haven't seen them before or visited recently check them out.

This video series is designed specifically for individuals who are interested in learning the basics of how to create applications using Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition and Visual C# 2005 Express Edition. This includes over 10 hours of video-based instruction that walks from creating your first "Hello World" application to a fully functioning RSS Reader application. Learn how to write your first application today!!

Lesson 1: Getting Started with Visual Studio 2005 Express Editions

Lesson 2: Creating a Windows Application User Interface

Lesson 3: Writing Code to Handle Events and Set Properties

Lesson 4: Working with Variables, Expressions, Statements, and Operators

Lesson 5: Using Branching and Recursion

Lesson 6: Object Oriented Programming Fundamentals

Lesson 7: Getting to Know the .NET Framework

Lesson 8: Obtaining Data from a SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Database

Lesson 9: Databinding Data to User Interface Controls

Lesson 10: Working with XML

Lesson 11: Handling Exceptions

Lesson 12: The RSS Reader Project - Designing and Planning

Lesson 13: The RSS Reader Project - Building the UI

Lesson 14: The RSS Reader Project - Working with XML and SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Data

Lesson 15: The RSS Reader Project - Expanding and Refining Application Functionality

Lesson 16: The RSS Reader Project - Fortifying, Testing and Deploying the Application

Video Casting

2005-08-25T09:29:00.000-05:00

Looking for some good video blogs to add to your podcast list? Try these to help tame the inner geek:

commandN

From the Shadows

OpenAlpha.tv

Systm

The Broken

You need $9 million for holodeck research?

2005-08-24T09:43:00.000-05:00

By the year 2020 we may have a 3D television that you can also smell and touch. I'm guessing by the year 2021 all dirty movies will have been converted and the world will come to an end as everyone starves to death.

3D TV with Touch, Smell by 2020?

Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead

2005-08-23T12:10:00.000-05:00

Lucent Technologies has officially closed down department 1127, the research group responsible for the creation of Unix in 1969.

Who Quit?! Oh, S@#t!

2005-08-22T08:58:00.000-05:00

Keeping developers happy is hard. It's a problem of inherent creativity, intelligence and the drive for happiness. Check out Software Team Turnover: Why Developers Leave (And What You Can Do About It).

Easily one of the biggest issues that causes developers to look elsewhere is probably the first issue which causes managers to cringe. ThatÂ’s right, most developers are just like everybody else in that they too exclaim the immortal words of Jerry Maguire, "Show me the money!"

It's a good idea to ensure that all development team members are paid a competitive rate, but the key is to identify a small portion of your development staff as people who you decide to invest in long term, and to take care of them in a way that will make them never want to leave for monetary reasons.

Any kind of additional "perk" goes a long way towards making people happy. These can involve non-liquid monetary assets such as stock options as well as perks like telecommuting, free lunches/snacks/sodas, good hardware, other gadgets (cell phones, PDAs) and so forth.

While these kinds of incentives can go a long way towards pleasing employees, nothing can harm morale faster than broken promises.

If a good developer leaves the company for a reason that doesn't directly involve money, it is often some type of morale problem - one that may be more widespread than you think. If people aren't happy where they work, they will often leave for equal - or even less - pay elsewhere.

Moving developers to new projects can be difficult because as developers build up domain and project knowledge, your first instinct is to keep them on that project and hire new developers to work on new projects. While that sounds like a good idea, it may or may not be the best solution for your developers and/or your company. What often happens is employers will keep proven developers on existing projects and hire unproven ones to spearhead new projects. While this may make sense from a business perspective in the short term, in the longer term - after the unproven new hire fails to develop a good product and the proven developer quits from boredom - it may not turn out so well.

The bottom line here is to identify your good developers, the ones that you want to have around for a long time, and find out where they want to be and what they want to be doing.

Burnout is a real issue and something that faces nearly every developer at some time in their career.

A team that has fun together is much more likely to work together well, enjoy working with each other and help each other. Job satisfaction is increased when there is something other than work to look forward to as well. The mental drain of a tough day of debugging can severely be lightened by a few minutes of entertainment.

Joel - Usability Testing

2005-08-19T07:56:00.000-05:00

Joel Spolsky, of Joel on Software fame, has posted a new article on Usability Testing. You can check it out here.

Lost: Firefox Wind, Reward if Found

2005-08-18T08:06:00.000-05:00

Firefox's steady increase in market share faced a setback in July according to web monitoring firm NetApplications.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer was used by 87.2 per cent of website visitors in July, up from 86.56 per cent in June. Firefox, the second most popular browser, saw its share slip slightly from its high point of 8.71 per cent last month to 8.07 per cent in July.

A Quick Word About Security Updates

2005-08-17T10:01:00.000-05:00

If you have not heard about the new Windows worm yet, read this story. We may not like it, but the state of Windows today requires that we patch our systems immediately, as in within 24 hours. Organizations that still believe they have the luxury of running security patches through dev / test / beta environments that takes weeks or months have got to wake up. You really only have maybe 48 - 72 hours to get through this cycle. While many organizations got hit by a single computer being unpatched, I can tell you I know of more than one that does not patch its systems for sometimes months. And if I know them, I'm sure you do to, and there are lot's out there.

Please take a moment to check all your computers at home this evening to make sure your Windows updates, anti-spyware updates and anti-virus updates are all set to download and apply automatically every night.

Do you Yahoo!?

2005-08-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

My Yahoo! 360 Site

Recently I moved my personal blog over to Yahoo! 360. Why? Let's follow the trail, which is a good example of a single killer app helping make a company.

First, I do not like Yahoo! search nearly as much as Google. So I have been using Google (or A9 which uses Google) for years. I even posted months ago how much work Yahoo! needs to do to catch up. So searching on Yahoo! was definitely NOT the reason for the switch to Yahoo! 360. So what was?

I wanted to get a subscription service for my music and Yahoo! was by far the cheapest. They only charge $4.99 / month with one year service compared to $14.99 / month for Napster. Price hooked me. The Yahoo! music engine is okay, but not great. It's still in Beta so I will forgive their minor flaws. But I still use iTunes to find the songs I want, then switch over to Yahoo! to download them. The selection is great, so I'm not complaining. Combine the service with my new Creative Zen Micro, and music purchasing has disappeared from my habit list.

So I sign up and Yahoo! sends me information about the My Yahoo! personal start pages and how I can integrate my playlists. So I check out their portal service, and guess what? I love it. Plain, simple and delivers exactly what I want from a start page. Before I was using Google News whiched I switched to after MSN lost all my settings. I wasn't really happy with it, but it worked.

As part of My Yahoo! you can store bookmarks. So I set a dozen basic bookmarks I use frequently on the home page and now Yahoo!'s ad let's me know about My Web 2.0. This is their social bookmarking site which is really a rip off of del.icio.us. But it's a rip off that does a better job. Unlike del.icio.us, I can set private bookmarks or make them available to only my friends. It integrates with Yahoo! Search to track your search history and inform you when you are searching for something you or a friend has already found on the web.

Okay, so this Yahoo! thing is working out and I go poking around for other stuff and I find Yahoo! Photos. This provides an easy way for me to upload ALL of my photos to the web for sharing with my friends (and free backup). There is that friend thing again. That natural draw of other users to the service.

To keep things simple for myself and everyone else, wouldn't it be easier to have a personal page that acts as my blog that also ties into all these other services I have started using. Finally we get to Yahoo! 360, combined blog, music sharing, photo sharing service. While the blog is not that flashy, it's easy. And that's all I really want for a brain dump site. Now I have kuhl.ws and 360.yahoo.com/scottkuhl. One for work related information, the other for personal.

And finally, we are back to searching. While the search results are not as good as Google, they are good enough. When you add in all this integrated history, bookmarking, blogging, etc. it adds enough insentive to settle for the lessor of two search engines. But when Yahoo! turns up less than stellar results, I still head back to Google.

I have started using the Calendar and Task features and will probably use the Mail features but only as a place to forward on my regular domain account. This way everyone else keeps e-mailing scott@kuhl.ws but I can check them at Yahoo!. Why do this? So I can take down my Exchange Hosted mail and divert the cost toward something else. I'm still not sure I will do this, but the potetial is there.

So, now I am using 6 different services + from a vendor I would not even consider 3 months ago. The power of the killer app!

Library: Programming Visual Basic .NET

2005-08-12T14:28:00.000-05:00

Book four is more language / technology specific than my previous choices for the library. Programming Microsoft Visual Basic .NET (Core Reference) by Francesco Balena (ISBN 0735613753) is the book to have for a single language reference. While you may branch out into deeper topics later such at ADO.NET or ASP.NET, this is the place to start. This may also be the only book you purchase. From here you could stick to articles or online help, but it really depends on your learning style. Either way, this book is an indispensible reference and learning guide that builds upon the usefulness and success of its earlier edition on Visual Basic 6. (Both editions are included on the CD in electronic format).

The current release covers version 2003, but check carefully before you buy, the version that covers 2002 looks almost identical. Unfortunately, this book is not available on Safari Bookshelf.

Mr. Martin, There's Someone From the BSA to See You

2005-08-11T10:05:00.000-05:00

Okay, so this moron named Andy Martin decides he is going to run for governor of Illinois. He's a Republican, good luck, they'll love you in Chicago. Next, he decides to get some attention. How? By calling Microsoft out.

Andy Martin is on The Committee to Fight Microsoft. He wants Microsoft to warranty their code from ALL security bugs or block the release of Windows Vista. Hmm. How about we just make all software conform to some stupid law that says software bugs are illegal. Idiot!

Big government needs to stay out of IT! They have no idea what they are doing. Microsoft's security problems have led to a slow migration to other options. Firefox is a good example. Let the market handle itself.

Yester World

2005-08-10T09:37:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm not exactly sure how to describe this other than Microsoft marketing meets Flash Gordon. You'll just have to see it for yourself!

Escape From Yester World

UML Part 6 - Interaction Diagrams

2005-08-09T08:27:00.000-05:00

Part 6 of an ongoing series titled UML for the Software Developer is now available.

Interaction or sequence diagrams are the critical link between the static class diagrams and how the classes behave. A well-defined sequence diagram will find missing classes, elucidate the sequence of events for class interaction, and define the methods needed for each class.

Rocky Discusses Java

2005-08-05T08:43:00.000-05:00

In a recent interview with Rockford Lhotka, the creator of CSLA and author of the famous "Business Objects" books, Rocky discusses his personal experiences with Java developers.

I think the biggest thing I took away is that there are more similarities than there are differences between our two platforms – even though people on both sides tend to deny that. The reality is that the histories of the two technologies have been almost exactly in lockstep for the last eight years or so. The big problem is that the two communities use different words for the same thing. My challenge was that I would talk about things using Microsoft words and the Java people would hear something entirely different and get incensed until they realized it was a semantic difference.

There are some core differences that may be philosophical. The Java community has an embedded distrust of tools that do a lot for them. I was listening to a conversation at one conference and these guys had been through one of the more complex Java frameworks that do a lot of stuff for Java developers, and one of the guys said he’d never use it because he didn’t trust it to do those things for him properly. At Microsoft conferences, there is a core expectation that Microsoft will solve the hard problems. They believe, for example, that eventually Microsoft will solve the data-binding problems so that developers won’t have to write the difficult parts of getting data into user interfaces and back. In Java, having this done for you would be bad or suspect.

The other realization I’ve had is that the Java community is turning their backs on Java and fleeing towards dynamic languages. The Microsoft world is by and large still focused on strongly typed languages. For example, CSLA uses some reflection because there are some places where it needs to be highly dynamic and there is a subset of people to whom that is very offensive. I’m sure their counterparts exist in the Java community, but they aren’t as vocal.

It will be interesting to see if the Microsoft community says that strong typing is too much of a pain in the coming years. If that happens, what I’ll personally be watching for is the role that Visual Basic plays in that. Visual Basic has been a dynamic language ever since its inception. That used to be the ultimate evil – all of its constructs without type – everyone ridiculed it for this, but now there is a massive move in the Java space to go to this. It’s not hypocrisy, because people have just changed their minds. C# has no provision for being dynamic at all. People will either have to move to Visual Basic or move to other languages.

You can read the entire interview about objects in .NET here.

Agile vs CMMI - The MSF Showdown

2005-08-04T09:58:00.000-05:00

Do you prefer agile development methods or are you a CMMI devote? Both frameworks are built in the Microsoft Solutions Framework 4.0 but how do they differ? Here is a side by side comparison.

There is no comparison for "traditional" waterfall methods, but those guys are too busy getting nothing done to read it anyway.

Longhorn vs. Vista

2005-08-03T10:41:00.000-05:00

Hey stupid, those are the same thing! Well, not really. What we knew as Longhorn is a far cry from what we are getting as Vista. Let's compare.

The .NET Framework will not be the core of the operating system as first promised. However, this will make Indigo (next generation web services) and Avalon (next generation GUI) available on Windows XP.

A new object oriented scripting shell has been, well, shelled. Monad got kicked in the gonads.

Security is job one. Palladium is job two. The new security infrastructure that promised to make us safe and warm is on hack train. What we will get is a shadow of its former self.

WinFS is gone. This was to be the new file system based on XML that would revolutionize how we view data on our systems. Goodbye C Drive and file folders? No, goodbye WinFS.

The Microsoft Business Framework has been unframed. Need to make enterprise development easier with a set of core libraries laid on top of .NET? Not this time. This was based on WinFS.

So, while all of these may eventually roll out, they will not be part of Windows Vista on release day. And hey, where the hell is Object Spaces!

Say goodbye to your old desktop! - Frylock
And say goodbye to your new one! - Master Shake

History 1.01

2005-08-02T10:07:00.000-05:00

Stroll down ASP.NET memory lane and go all the way back to the beginning (what 4 years?) with episode #119 of .NET Rocks!

Rob Howard drops in to talk to Carl and Richard about ASP.NET past, present, and future. Rob shares his insights as well as a few stories from his days on the ASP.NET team at Microsoft. He also talks about his current gig with Telligent Systems and what excites him the most about ASP.NET 2.0.

Library: UML Distilled

2005-08-01T10:27:00.000-05:00

Book three is UML Distilled: A Brief Guide to the Standard Object Modeling Language by Martin Fowler (ISBN 0321193687). This is simply the best quick reference / basic tutorial to UML available. The book will not teach you object oriented design and analysis, but it will tell you how to create those models in UML. There are lengthier books on the topic, but this one should solve 99% of your issues. The book is currently in its 3rd edition which covers UML version 2.0. Multiple editions of this book are available on Safari Bookshelf.

Internet Explorer 7 Beta 1 Available

2005-07-28T09:07:00.000-05:00

Don't give a rat's ass about Vista yet? Well, maybe IE7 will get your engines running. It's available to MSDN subscribers.

The first stage of the beta process for Internet Explorer 7 has begun—developer testing! The latest version of the world’s most popular Web browser has been released for technical evaluation, feedback, and testing by software and Web site developers.

The Beta 1 release signals that Internet Explorer 7 has reached an important milestone, with a number of key new features and improvements, and is ready for website and application compatibility testing. This release is specifically intended for developers to confirm that existing applications and websites will work well with Internet Explorer 7, and provides an opportunity for developers to give feedback directly to the development team. There will be further refinement between Beta 1 and the final version.

Beta 1 is not intended for broad consumer trial and evaluation but it does offer a preview of some of the benefits that Internet Explorer 7.

Click here to help destroy cute little animals on fire

Windows Longhorn (Vista) Beta 1 Available

2005-07-28T08:36:00.000-05:00

And so it begins. Beta 1 is now available to MSDN subscribers.

Windows Vista (formerly code-named Windows "Longhorn") is a substantial advance in Windows, with significant innovations in the developer platform. Windows Vista makes it easier than ever before to build applications that are more secure, reliable, and manageable. Windows Vista also enables developers and designers to create user-experience breakthroughs that improve usability and enable greater relevance to the work users do. Finally, Windows Vista makes it easy to connect to information, systems, people, and devices though a number of innovative integration technologies.

Click here for assimilation

Here are some official screenshots.

Start Me Up

2005-07-27T08:39:00.000-05:00

My Yahoo! / Google Homepage / ~~My MSN~~ Start

Start? Yes, Start.com is a Microsoft sandbox initiative that looks similar to Google Homepage with a little SharePoint thrown in. I'm not sure why this exists. If it ever sees the light of day, it will probably be in the form of consumed features added to My MSN.

It's too bad you can't replace the Yahoo! search bar with Google on My Yahoo!. Or even better, some sort of standard widget such as Web Parts that could be embedded in Yahoo!, Google, MSN, DotNetNuke, etc. so you can choose your own start page with EVERYTHING you want.

Digg It

2005-07-26T13:55:00.000-05:00

What's Digg? Digg is a technology news website that combines social bookmarking, dynamic social RSS, and non-hierarchical editorial control. With digg, users submit stories for review, but rather than allowing an editor to decide which stories go on the homepage, the users do.

Boing Boing: Promise TV -- PVR records a month's worth of shows from all channels

2005-07-26T09:39:00.000-05:00

Boing Boing: Promise TV -- PVR records a month's worth of shows from all channels: "Promise TV -- PVR records a month's worth of shows from all channels "

Phrack Closes Down

2005-07-25T10:39:00.000-05:00

Hacker mag closure spells bad news for security - Security Strategy - Breaking Business and Technology News at silicon.com

Posted By John Simpson
Hacking Coorespondent
The "You Will Be Assimilated" Blog

Hacker brings down libraries' computer systems

2005-07-25T10:35:00.000-05:00

Hacker brings down libraries' computer systems

Posted by John Simpson
Hacking Coorespondent
The "You Will Be Assimilated" Blog

Hacking with a Pringles tube

2005-07-25T10:21:00.000-05:00

BBC News SCI/TECH Hacking with a Pringles tube

Posted by John Simpson
Hacking Corespondent
The "You Will Be Assimilated" Blog

.NET Naming Conventions and Standards

2005-07-25T09:46:00.000-05:00

This article does a good summary treatment on the topic.

These are the industry-accepted standard naming conventions for J#, C# and VB.NET programs. For additional information, please see the MSDN help documentation and FX Cop. While individual naming conventions at organizations may vary (Microsoft only suggests conventions for public and protected items), the list below is quickly becoming the de-facto standard in the industry. Please note the absence of Hungarian Notation except in visual controls. These naming standards should find their way into all of your .NET development, including ASP.NET Web applications and .NET Windows Forms applications.

If you are still stuck in VB6, try this knowledge base article.

Red Foreman Names Longhorn

2005-07-22T14:25:00.000-05:00

The official name of Longhorn will be Windows Vista Cruiser, er, Windows Vista. A lot of articles are either praising or condemning the name, saying the whole future of Windows and Microsoft is hanging on this one decision. Really? Just on the name? Seems like a lot of hype to generate new buzz about Longhorn. I mean, come on, they named it, woo hoo! Call me when it goes gold, then the hype machine should be cranked up to full power.

Comparing .NET and J2EE, MSDN Style

2005-07-21T14:24:00.000-05:00

Microsoft has posted some new competitive reports telling you how super cool awesome .NET is and how lame stupid yesterday Java has become. The information includes 3 case studies, 3 enterprise reports and an updated version of Microsoft .NET PetShop.

Microsoft .NET adoption is now exceeding J2EE adoption as the preferred development platform for large organizations. While the two technologies will continue to co-exist, in less than three years since its initial release, the .NET Framework has quickly gained critical mass according to several recent analyst reports. Forrester Research reports in their independent study that .NET is now preferred by 56% to 44% over J2EE in North American firms as their primary development platform. Finally, Gartner also reports in September 2004 that Microsoft leads in Web Services vision and ability to execute, placing Microsoft .NET as the overall winner of its Web Services Magic Quadrant analysis.

Goodbye Scotty

2005-07-20T11:28:00.000-05:00

Actor James Doohan "beamed up" this morning after a year long battle with Alzheimer's disease. When I was in high school, my father and I met Mr. Doohan at a Star Trek convention, the only one we ever attended. He was very down to earth and spoke with Dad for almost half an hour about everything but Star Trek.

You will be missed.

Try Googling Law Suit

2005-07-20T08:58:00.000-05:00

Microsoft has filed a law suit against Google for hiring an executive with a non-compete clause. Now I am normally not in favor of non-compete clauses, but in the case it seems Google has hired this dude just to get his inside knowledge about Microsoft search. Plus he is not a peon, he is an executive.

The suit was filed in a Washington state court against Google and Kai-Fu Lee, who until Monday was the corporate vice-president of Microsoft's Interactive Services Division.

Google said earlier on Tuesday that Lee was joining the company and would head up a new research effort in China.

Accepting such a position with a direct Microsoft competitor like Google violates the narrow non-competition promise Lee made when he was hired as an executive," Microsoft said in its lawsuit, which was seen by ZDNet UK sister site CNET News.com. "Google is fully aware of Lee's promises to Microsoft, but has chosen to ignore them, and has encouraged Lee to violate them."

A Microsoft lawyer said in an interview that Lee's move to join Google was a "particularly egregious" violation of the noncompete agreement that he had signed when he joined Microsoft.

"He has access to sensitive information, to trade secrets about our search technology and business plans and our China business strategies," Deputy General Counsel Tom Burt said. "He has accepted a position in direct competition with Microsoft in those areas."

Lee had been working most recently at Microsoft's Redmond, Washington, headquarters, focusing on new search technologies. According to the lawsuit, for a time Lee had been the person "responsible for overall development of the MSN Internet search application." He also served as a member of a company advisory board that focused on China-related strategies, a post that, according to the suit, gave him access to the company's business strategy and planned expansion targets.

"There was no effort by Dr. Lee or Google to try and work out any kind of agreement," Burt said. "The combination of those factors meant that we really had no choice but to file this suit to protect our confidential information."

Read the full story.

Top Ten Signs Your Child Is A Hacker

2005-07-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

Ask yourself these ten questions than compare your answers with Is Your Son a Computer Hacker?

Has your son asked you to change ISPs?
Are you finding programs on your computer that you don't remember installing?
Has your child asked for new hardware?
Does your child read hacking manuals?
How much time does your child spend using the computer each day?
Does your son use Quake?
Is your son becoming argumentative and surly in his social behavior?
Is your son obsessed with "Lunix"?
Has your son radically changed his appearance?
Is your son struggling academically?

This article reminds me of a Microsoft seminar Kendra and I attended. During a security panel, a woman from the audience spoke up and INSISTED that her neighbors' kids were members of the Legion of Doom and were using satellites to hack into her computer even when it was off!

Video Killed The iPod Star

2005-07-18T08:01:00.000-05:00

Rumors are a flyin high now. MSNBC is reporting that Apple is in talks with music companies to sell music videos on iTunes. When: September, How Much: $1.99.

All this is a suspected prelude to the video iPod. This could also explain the sudden drop in price of the photo iPod. But why wait? Head over to Archos now.

NerdTV

2005-07-15T10:32:00.000-05:00

Robert X. Cringley's NerdTV is finally set to launch on September 6th after 3 years in the making.

What is NerdTV? It's hour long interviews with important IT people that will be released under the Creative Commons license. For more information, see I, Cringely.

Update July 15th

The actual site for NerdTV will be www.pbg.org/nerdtv.

Among the first NerdTV guests are PayPal co-founder Max Levchin; original Macintosh programmer Andy Hertzfeld; and Sun Microsystems co-founder and the father of Berkeley UNIX, Bill Joy. The premier program will include a two-minute feature called "What the heck is NerdTV?" The 13 one-hour shows will be made available on a weekly basis after the launch date and all previous episodes will continue to be available through the NerdTV Web site. NerdTV viewers are actually encouraged to download and copy the shows, share them with friends and even post them on their own Web sites - all legally.

Library: Data Management

2005-07-15T08:46:00.000-05:00

Book two of my library is Data Management : Databases and Organizations by Richard T. Watson (ISBN 0471347116). It is an excellent general database technology book that I first used in college. The book is divided into sections which include: The Managerial Perspective, Data Modeling and SQL, Database Architectures and Implementations, Organizational Memory Technologies, and Managing Organizational Memory. The book is currently in its 5th edition and it's still going strong. Unfortunately, this book is neither cheap ($104.95 list) nor available on Safari Bookshelf.

I can still remember my tests from college, every question began with "According to Watson...". Hmm, maybe that's why I watch "According to Jim"???

Wait For It... Wait For It...

2005-07-14T13:56:00.000-05:00

Asynchronous programming in ASP.NET is more complex than a desktop application. Yes, you'll need one of those "wait for it" pages, but it's better than the spinning browser logo of doom. No!!!!

Here are three articles that tackle the problem.

Hottermail

2005-07-14T09:05:00.000-05:00

According to BetaNews Hotmail is finally going to get a face lift and some new features. This is just in time for Hotmail's 10th anniversary. I am hoping the new interface is close to Outlook Web Access 2003. They did a really good job with that product and really pushed the envelope of a web client application.

Free ASP.NET Training

2005-07-13T08:28:00.000-05:00

Are you looking to learn to create ASP.NET Web applications with Visual Studio.NET? If so now is your chance to get 17 hours of hands-on ASP.NET training for free from Microsoft Learning.

For a limited time only, Microsoft Learning is offering Developing Microsoft ASP.NET Web Applications with Visual Studio.NET, a 17-hour self-paced online training course, for free ($349.00 value).

Click here to get started and enter promotion code 8317-MSDN-6595

Hurry, you only have until early October to register and finish the course.

My Site Is Cooler Than Yours

2005-07-12T15:54:00.000-05:00

AJAX is all the rage dude. Post backs, flying windows, spacey spacing things, and jazzmatronics galore. Don't let those far out techno hippies get bored with your totally last year but functional web sites. Make those babies sing! Break those web sites with style!

Need some help you big baby? Try Scriptaculous!

Spy vs. Spyware

2005-07-12T09:26:00.000-05:00

If you have not heard yet, there is a rumor that Microsoft may buy the notoriously large adware company Claria, of "Gator" fame. Why would a company dedicated to security that has its own anti-spyware software buy a spyware company? The best explanation I have heard yet is to compete with Google's advertising. Claria has the highest rate of clickthrough's on its ads, something like 40 times that of Google. So Microsoft could strip out those engines and apply it to legitimate products such as MSN and Hotmail for targeted ads without installing anything malicious on your machine.

But the following news greatly disturbs me. Microsoft's anti-spyware program no longer recommends Claria be removed, which it did before the rumors started. These are exactly the kinds of things people worry about when Microsoft gets into the anti-spyware and anti-virus game! They have conflicting interests so they are siding with the money, not the user. I think it's time to switch spyware blocking software.

Library: Object Technology

2005-07-11T08:05:00.000-05:00

The first book I am adding to the ongoing library is Object Technology: A Manager's Guide by David A. Taylor, Ph.D (ISBN 0201309947). This is a nice short book that helps you think in objects. There is no coding and not much design theory. It is a true introductory book that helps you understand what object-oriented programming is fundamentally about. The most current edition of the book is the 2nd edition published back in 1997. This book is still in print and available on Safari Bookshelf.

A more modern alternative may be Object Thinking by David West (ISBN 0735619654) but I have not read this book. (Yet)

Help Me, Help You

2005-07-08T15:13:00.000-05:00

A new help desk assistance site call copilot.com is launching into beta soon. The idea is, you go to the site and get an ID. You tell your friend / client to go to the site and enter the ID. Then you both download a small customized version of VNC and you can remotely control your friend's / client's computer. When you are done, the application deletes itself. There is going to be a small fee involved that either you or the person requesting help can pay.

Why is this different than other remote access scenarios? One, it is very easy to use. Two, it requires no pre-setup on either machine. Three, the session is firewall friendly since the copilot.com servers act as a middle man.

Newbies, Chicken++ or the {{Egg}}

2005-07-07T15:43:00.000-05:00

If you're new to coding, things can seem overwhelming. You don't just need to learn how to program anymore. You need to learn databases, markup languages, object design, methodologies, etc. So, you can expect mistakes. Not just coding mistakes, but big mistakes in all those areas. A good mentor is your best bet to seeing it through the early years. It also helps to absorb as much knowledge as possible. At least then you will be able to identify if your mentor is a screwball. This is probably also a good reason to find two. Get one at work or college and join a user group.

So, to help with the knowledge absorption, I have decided to start posting those books that I find I can't live without. While I will add them in no particular order, I will try to maintain the list in a reasonable study order in the growing menu I will add to the site. This order in itself poses a problem. Is it better to learn a language first, then design? It has been a long time since I started out, and the rules have changed. I learned a language first, but quickly was thrown into databases. As far as a design method, I went too long before learning a method to the madness.

Any input is greatly appreciated.

Much like when our kids learn to walk, they are going to fall. Picking themselves up and trying again is part of the learning process. The problem is a new coder is more like an indestructible 1000 foot baby running at full speed. You could be cleaning up the mess for years.

Joel's New Book

2005-07-07T08:21:00.000-05:00

Joel Spolsky has a new book out called The Best Software Writing I: Selected and Introduced by Joel Spolsky. The book is not really written by Joel, but contains a collection of his favorite essays on software writing. The book is published by Apress, so you won't find it on Safari. You'll need to actually buy the book.

Amazon.com link

ColorPicker.NET

2005-07-06T08:26:00.000-05:00

Download a free .NET rip off of Adobe's Color Picker application.

Visual Studio 2005 Threading

2005-07-05T09:36:00.000-05:00

Building multithreaded applications is easy with the new BackgroundWorker component in Visual Studio 2005, and it allows you to create interactive applications with minimal work.

Read full article on MSDN

Backwhackdot

2005-07-01T08:55:00.000-05:00

Microsoft has created a new community based web site described as Slashdot for Windows users, although Darth Bill would deny that description. "The Hive" will be Microsoft sponspored but contain user driven content.

According to eWeek, "The beta of the Hive features online forums, but later iterations will add a file-upload utility where members will be able to share screen shots, how-to content, tips and tricks, according to Microsoft officials."

In my opinion this is nothing like Slashdot. Why? You have to prove you run a community site with over 50 members just to get in and read, much less post anything. I don't remember having to go through and audit and approval process for Slashdot.

SOA For Dummies

2005-06-30T08:20:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for the basics of SOA check out the article An Introduction to Service-Oriented Architecture on DevX.

An SOA is much more than mere Web services. Get a straightforward explanation of everybody's favorite tech buzzword du jour and find out how you can implement SOA in your organization with a simple, real world example and guidelines.

Shape Up Your Code And Look Like Google In Only 7 DAYS!

2005-06-29T08:39:00.000-05:00

The great Atlas is on the way. Microsoft has announced support for AJAX in ASP.NET. Atlas will provide support for all modern browsers and a new set of server controls. But don't expect it with the launch of Visual Studio 2005. It will come as a later add-on. But you can get a free third-party library today. Check out Ajax.NET.

More about Atlas

If you don't want to wait, check out these articles on DevX on how to implement AJAX.

AJAX: A Fresh Look at Web Development is a general article on how to implement it knowing only HTML and JavaScript.

Write Ajax-style Applications Using the ASP.NET 2.0 Client Callback Manager shows a built in approach available in .NET 2.0.

RSS Integration

2005-06-28T07:57:00.000-05:00

Okay, so now Microsoft is going to integrate RSS directly into the OS come Longhorn with proprietary extensions that will be available through a Creative Commons license. Do you think this is a good thing, or are we headed back down the IE road again?

For in depth coverage check out: Microsoft's RSS Platform: The What, The How, The Why.

10 Ways to Make Your Code More Testable

2005-06-27T09:32:00.000-05:00

Verifiable code is less likely to cause problems during development and after delivery; however, it can often be difficult to write adequate unit tests, due to the way your production code is architected. In this column, Justin Gehtland looks at ten ways to structure your code to make it easier to verify with NUnit, or any other xUnit framework.

Ruxpin 2.0 - Teddy's Revenge

2005-06-24T11:21:00.000-05:00

That creepy robot toy from the 80's is back, and this time he's getting an upgrade. No more cassette tapes, now he is sporting a full positronic brain with artificial intelligence. Well, not really. But it's still creepy!

The end of the world begins in September at Target. But you can pre-order your one way train ticket to hell in July.

Damn you Teddy Ruxpin! I will defeat you again!

REALBasic 2005 Released

2005-06-23T08:08:00.000-05:00

I have posted about this alternative to Visual Basic before. The new version is now shipping. Pro - $500, Standard - $100, Linux Standard - Free. Read the press releases.

This version of Basic has proven much more popular than other completing versions suchs as: "FAKEBasic", "Keeping it Real Basic", and of course "You're Too F!@#ing Stupid for C".

The Onion - Must See Today

2005-06-22T07:42:00.000-05:00

This one is time sensitive. Check out The Onion today. It's from 50 years in the future.

UML Part 5 - Component Diagrams

2005-06-17T07:57:00.000-05:00

Part 5 of an ongoing series titled UML for the Software Developer is now available.

Their ability to show interdependencies between applications' components make component diagrams invaluable. They can however be surprisingly complex. Find out how to use the right architectural patterns within your component diagrams to make them manageable.

Give Me That

2005-06-16T08:02:00.000-05:00

My code is now available to C# programmers. No, not my personal code. My is a new shortcut feature in VB.NET 2005 that point to deeper parts of the .NET Framework. To know more about My check out this MSDN article.

To use these features in C# you need to go to a third party, IDesign, and use the word That. Not sure why they did not stick with My. You can download That here. Scroll down to My for C# 2.0.

Disposable Video Camera

2005-06-15T09:12:00.000-05:00

Disposable video camera - $29.99

Father's Day Geek Gift Ideas

2005-06-15T08:22:00.000-05:00

Because buying a tie says, "I hate you Dad. I really, truly hate you."

Akimbo - Broadband TV On Demand
Alco Car DVD and Gaming System (Assuming your wife is willing to drive)
Archos Digital Video Recorder AV 700
Binary Dad Shirt
Bluetooth Wireless Stereo/Hi-Fi Headphones
Custom Car Emblems
Gray Kangaroo Personal Liquor Filter
Mug Boss
Siemens Dressman Shirt Iron

If anyone has more suggestions, please leave the information in the comments section, or feel free to buy me one and I'll do it for you.

Oops, You Broke It

2005-06-15T07:31:00.000-05:00

Here are the top 10 customer issues in Visual Studio 2005.

Mine did not seem to make it: "What the hell happened to ObjectSpaces?"

Deploy updated/new icon sets with Visual Studio
Edit and continue support for Visual C#
Where did components area on Web Forms go??
Tray Icon support is limited: System.Windows.Forms.NotifyIcon doesn't support Balloon Help without P/Invoke
Enable Direct Downloads
ASP.NET Web Forms templates shouldn't use HTML that is considered obsolete
MSFB Ctrl+f5 of a console app doesn't cause the cmd window to stay around with "Press any Key to continue" message
Intellisense completes word on space as well as tab
Client Side Validation
asp:Menu control only works in IE

Putting the Rich, in Rich Clients

2005-06-14T13:56:00.000-05:00

File this one under "Are You F#$%ing Nuts!" and cross reference "Sucker Born Every Minute".

Amazon.com has a PDF for sale that describes why you should develope Smart / Rich Clients. This "in-depth" 38 page report will set you back $995!

There is a section on Marketing Trends which may mean that this guide is aimed at pointy-hairs and sales weasels. That could explain the inflated price.

IIS 6, HTTP Compression

2005-06-14T08:45:00.000-05:00

Internet Information Server 6.0 has the capability to do HTTP Compression (zipping your pages before sending it to the browser). By enabling this feature you will get a 70-80% reduction in size of text based data, significantly reducing bandwidth. This comes at a CPU cost, but static pages are only zipped once.

There are a few times you would not want to use this feature. One, compression does not work over SSL. Two, when your pages are highly dynamic over a local intranet with a modest number of users. As always, performance test your application before deciding.

New Photo Blog

2005-06-13T18:54:00.000-05:00

I have decided to stretch my camera phone's legs a bit and start a daily photo blog. You can check it out here.

I will leave a link on the top menu bar also.

Apple / Intel, Why?

2005-06-13T07:30:00.000-05:00

So you probably have already heard the news that Apple is switching to Intel processors. But why switch, and why tell everyone a year before you do? Who wants to purchase an obsolete Mac.

Robert Cringely has the best explanation I have read so far. Going for Broke.

Apple's Decision to Use Intel Processors Is Nothing Less Than an Attempt to Dethrone Microsoft. Really.

Leeroy Jenkins

2005-06-10T09:12:00.000-05:00

I don't normally post this kind of stuff, but this is the funniest thing I have seen on the internet in quite a while. I cried laughing.

Leeroy Gets The Troops Killed

Tabs in Internet Explorer Available Now

2005-06-10T07:12:00.000-05:00

You do not need to wait for IE 7. MSN Search Toolbar 1.2 has released and it includes integrated tabs for IE. I like what I see so far, and I can only hope tabs in IE 7 works the same or better.

Be sure to check out My Tabs. No, not my tabs, My Tabs. It allows you to set several pages to open in seperate tabs with a single click, similar to Opera.

Visual Studio 2005 - Nov. 7th

2005-06-09T06:48:00.000-05:00

According to Microsoft VP Paul Flessner, Visual Studio 2005, SQL Server 2005 and BizTalk Server 2006 will release on November 7th. In a very clever move, he failed to mention the year.

So, should we start the online betting pools now?

Push It

2005-06-08T07:28:00.000-05:00

According to Microsoft Today:

Microsoft is going after the popular BlackBerry mobile E-mail device with its Messaging and Security Features Pack for Windows Mobile 5.0. The software being introduced this week will be incorporated into handheld devices starting this fall.

The features pack is built around what Microsoft calls "direct push technology," designed to push E-mail from Outlook to a Windows-based mobile device. There's a direct connection between Exchange Server 2003 and the device, which means businesses can bypass the additional servers and middleware other "push" E-mail services require. It also handles rich files such as Word, Excel, music, and video.

IIS and ASP.NET Dominate Where The Money Is

2005-06-07T06:46:00.000-05:00

A new survey of the 2005 Fortune 1000 Web sites reports that Microsoft's ASP.NET, ASP, and Internet Information Services (IIS) serve the majority of leading U.S. corporate sites.

Microsoft platforms (ASP.NET, ASP): 43.6%
Java platforms (J2EE, JSP, WebLogic, WebSphere, Tomcat): 12.2%
PHP: 5.2%
ColdFusion: 2.7%
Perl: 2.3%
Python (Zope): 0.1%

Microsoft IIS: 53.7%
Apache: 22.7%
Other Web servers: 12.8%
Netscape Enterprise: 10.8%

Visual Studio 2005, Enhancements Beyond the CLR

2005-06-06T07:53:00.000-05:00

Beyond what is available in .NET 2.0 itself, Visual Studio 2005 is sporting a new look and some nice features. With your upgrade you will get:

Accessibility Validation
Code Analysis with Integrated FxCop
Snippets Manager
Import / Export Settings
Device Emulator Manager
Bookmarks
Advanced Formatting Options

Read the full article.

They're Doing What with Office?!

2005-06-02T08:04:00.000-05:00

Microsoft announced they will be using an open XML based format in the new version of Office that will be ROYALTY FREE.

To use the new formatted files, which add x to the document extension name, you will need Office 2003 or higher. Of course, since the format is free you will probably also be able to use OpenOffice by launch time.

Microsoft Running Neck and Neck

2005-06-02T06:58:00.000-05:00

The worldwide computer server market grew 5.3% to $12.1 billion in the first quarter, with revenue for servers running the Microsoft Corp Windows operating system equaling that of Unix servers for the first time, market research firm IDC said on Friday.

"The equal level of spending in both segments this quarter showed that Windows servers are gaining traction in the enterprise server space with a combination of deeper investment and richer configurations," said Jean Bozman, vice president of Enterprise Computing.

Windows Servers - Up 12.3% to $4.2 billion
Unix Servers - Up 10.7% to $4.2 billion
Linux Servers - Up 35.2% to $1.2 billion

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About GridView

2005-06-02T06:48:00.000-05:00

"Well sit right back and enjoy this tale of a fateful Grid, 122 pages later, you'll be glad you did."

Scott Mitchell from 4GuysFromRolla has released a new article / series of articles / small book on MSDN that demonstrates the capabilities of the GridView control in ASP.NET 2.0.

This article illustrates how to accomplish a number of common tasks with the Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 GridView control. Each task is accompanied by a description of the new concepts covered, and the complete working examples are available for download with this article.

Topics include:

Improvements in Data Access and Display
Accessing Data with the DataSource Controls
Formatting the GridView
Displaying Master/Detail Data in a GridView
Paging and Sorting the GridView's Data
Displaying Images in a GridView Column
Working with TemplateFields
Drilling Down into Detailed Data
Displaying Summary Data in the Footer
Deleting a GridView's Underlying Data
Editing the Underlying Data in a GridView

Yes, it's 122 pages.

Season 2

2005-05-31T14:33:00.000-05:00

I'm back from a whirlwind tour of the Wisconsin Dells, home remodeling and of course Star Wars. Let's start the new "season" with a favorite posting, "Dear Internet Explorer".

Oh, and if anyone is planning a trip to Wisconsin, I highly recommend trying Wizard Quest.

AppDev is Too Expensive

2005-05-19T10:47:00.000-05:00

This is not a knock against AppDev. It's just a fact that many people can not afford several thousand dollars for training. If you are looking for video based training on a text book based budget try LearnVisualStudio.NET.

LearnVisualStudio.NET currently has over 450 videos, 80+ hours, for a 3 month subscription at $29.95. During those 3 months you can download and keep all of the videos forever. They do not time out. Or you can purchase a lifetime subscription for $59.95, the cost of one book.

Head over to their site and check out some of the free videos.

Why You Should Not Use Links To Submit Data

2005-05-19T10:38:00.000-05:00

A misguided design trend of avoiding buttons in favor of hyperlinks in Web applications is the problem. Web applications increasingly include links that delete records, confirm actions, and take all manner of sensitive and potentially irreversible actions. And here comes Google Web Accelerator, ready to click them all for you automatically!

According to the W3C, hyperlinks and forms that use the HTTP GET method of submission should only be requests for content or information (such as a search). Actions--and especially actions for which the user will be held accountable--should always be performed using HTTP POST requests, which in most cases means clicking a submit button, not a hyperlink.

Developers who use ASP.NET, for example, need to think twice before using the deceptively simple LinkButton control, which simulates a form button using a hyperlink. Who knew the innocent hyperlink could cause so much trouble?

Dream Job! Hey, Nightmares Are Dreams Too!

2005-05-19T10:35:00.000-05:00

If anyone from the future is reading this post and knows how to travel back in time, please, find the people responsible for this mess and erase them from existence.

Tools to analyze data and administer policies reside in 3 Microsoft Access databases. One of the databases has a complicated data structure with over 1500 objects. Many of the tools to administer the policies are Excel files that include complicated macros. Excel tools are frequently uploaded into the Access Databases for further use and report generation. Information gathered through Business Objects reports from a Peoplesoft derived HR Toolkit will also need to be uploaded into the Access Databases.

Candidates must be able to write Access Visual Basic Code and not just throw together a database.

"Applets" (small programs) may be used to "peel off" portions of the database to allow independent data changes that are later re-integrated into the
core database.

There is a high expectation of zero-mistake execution of a proposed
solution with the ability to turn work around ahead of proposed deadlines.

Time Off

2005-05-19T09:09:00.000-05:00

I will be taking some time off starting tomorrow. I promised myself I would do nothing work related, so no posts for a while. I'll flood you with posts today to tide you over in my absence.

Making Wrong Code Look Wrong

2005-05-19T09:06:00.000-05:00

By Joel Spolsky

It's at this point you typically say, 'Blistering Barnacles, we've got to get some consistent coding conventions around here!' and you spend the next day writing up coding conventions for your team and the next six days arguing about the One True Brace Style and the next three weeks rewriting old code to conform to the One True Brace Style until a manager catches you and screams at you for wasting time on something that can never make money, and you decide that it's not really a bad thing to only reformat code when you revisit it, so you have about half of a True Brace Style and pretty soon you forget all about that and then you can start obsessing about something else irrelevant to making money like replacing one kind of string class with another kind of string class.

CSS Cheat Sheet

2005-05-18T14:25:00.000-05:00

The CSS cheat sheet is designed to act as a reminder and reference sheet, listing all selectors (as of CSS 2.1) and properties. It includes a visual example of the box model, unit reference for CSS units and the various media types CSS makes allowance for.

CM/STANNOs? How far away is AI?

2005-05-18T10:07:00.000-05:00

These guys seem to be some pioneers in this field... who knew they were in STL?

http://www.imagination-engines.com/index.htm

The First Web Page

2005-05-18T09:44:00.000-05:00

You may have seen documentaries, read books, or found the miscellaneous article on the birth of the world wide web. But have you actually seen the very first web page?

Kill Outlook Express

2005-05-18T06:56:00.000-05:00

By John Dvorak

About a year and a half ago I took to using Microsoft Outlook Express. I'll be switching either to Thunderbird or back to Eudora when I swap out this computer. Outlook Express is miserable and needs to be killed off. The question on my mind is how Microsoft could let this program fester like a gangrenous limb and not do anything about it.

I can tell you this much. If Microsoft persists in using this old code as the free e-mail program in Longhorn, I'm switching to Linux.

This program is so bad that it must be turning people away from Outlook 2003, by setting a bad example for what the company can accomplish.

Read The Full Article ...

A History of the GUI

2005-05-17T13:55:00.000-05:00

This article covers everything from the first GUI demo in the 60s to Mac OS X, with plenty of screen shots to help stroll down memory lane.

Today, almost everybody in the developed world interacts with personal computers in some form or another. We use them at home and at work, for entertainment, information, and as tools to leverage our knowledge and intelligence. It is pretty much assumed whenever anyone sits down to use a personal computer that it will operate with a graphical user interface. We expect to interact with it primarily using a mouse, launch programs by clicking on icons, and manipulate various windows on the screen using graphical controls. But this was not always the case. Why did computers come to adopt the GUI as their primary mode of interaction, and how did the GUI evolve to be the way it is today?

MSN Desktop Search Goes Live

2005-05-17T13:46:00.000-05:00

The Beta is over and MSN Search Toolbar with Windows Desktop Search (Marketing! Losers!) is ready for prime time. Performance problems that plagued the Beta are gone, there is a nice preview pane, but my favorite part: You can choose your search engine!

For those readers who have not fallen over dead after that last statement..

Download the software here and make sure you download add-ins or you will not be able to index files like PDF or ZIP.

It also appears there is an enterprise version in the works.

Why Google Scares Bill Gates

2005-05-17T06:46:00.000-05:00

Check out this article on Fortune magazine's web site. It gives a picture of how Bill views Google's plans and the impending war between the two companies.

Bill Gates is on a mission to build a Google killer. What got him so riled? The darling of search is moving into software—and that's Microsoft's turf.

If You Think HealthCare is Out of Control...

2005-05-16T15:01:00.000-05:00

Microsoft is releasing a new service call OneCare. This is an all in one security and PC health care maintenance program. This service will also mark Microsoft's entrance into anti-virus software. But will they charge for it? It appears so, the rumor is a monthly fee. Most of what you get out of the service is free today: firewall, spyware protection, backups, disk defrag. But bundling it into a new service and adding anti-virus makes it appear that you are getting more. The product is aimed at the low end user who doesn't know how to do these things for themselves.

Are you tired of spending time trying to protect and maintain your computer? Are you worried that you're still not doing everything you should to keep it safe and running at optimal performance? If your answer is "Yes," then Windows OneCare™ is for you. Windows OneCare is built specifically for people who don't have the time or technical expertise necessary to secure and manage a computer on a daily basis. It is a comprehensive PC health service that goes beyond security to take an integrated approach to help protect and care for your computer.

"We introduced the problems, now you pay to fix them!"

Introducing Custom Entity Classes

2005-05-16T07:28:00.000-05:00

There are situations for which untyped DataSets may not be the best solution for data manipulation. The goal of this guide is to explore an alternative to DataSets: custom entities and collections.

Scott AFB NOT on Closure List

2005-05-13T09:15:00.000-05:00

Scott Air Force Base was not on this morning's announced list of base closures. This is good news for the St. Louis ecomony as Scott AFB is the area's third largest employer.

Almost a decade of hard work and effort paid off today for the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois with the news that Scott Air Force Base is not on the list of military bases targeted for closure as part of the 2005 round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). As the economic development organization representing Madison and St. Clair counties, the Leadership Council has been a driving force behind the efforts to preserve and enhance Scott Air Force Base and its $2.1 billion dollar annual economic impact on the St. Louis metro area - and it joins the entire region in celebrating that Scott AFB has survived this round of BRAC.

In addition Scott AFB is marked for a gain of 832 civilian personnel with a loss of 121 military.

Interviewing Tips For The Small Company

2005-05-13T07:38:00.000-05:00

This article doesn't really give you interview tips as proclaimed. It's more of a list and description of personality traits you want to seek out in your employees. More companies need to spend time trying to find people who are not slugs. Of course, you still need to weed out the dumbasses first.

Every candidate, from junior to senior level, has to have the right amount of technical prowess for the intended position. However, small companies have a smaller margin for error when hiring a candidate, so you need to look beyond just hiring a candidate who can produce billable hours. In this article we’ll take a look at the some of the less technical areas where you need to asses a candidate before making the commitment.

Office 12 release confirmed for next year

2005-05-12T14:03:00.000-05:00

UK-based Techworld.com (via Bink.nu) reports that Microsoft has confirmed the next major release of the Office Suite will take place sometime next year. According to the report, which quotes statements made by Bill Gates, the next Office release will focus on
Improvement in workflow capabilities
Rights management
Advanced scheduling
Document sharing
Business intelligence
More server-side solutions have also been widely speculated about, including a possible Excel server. The last major release of Microsoft Office was in 2003. This new version had long been linked to the release of Longhorn but it would appear that idea has been dropped.

http://microsoft.weblogsinc.com/entry/1234000617042995/

Donny Thinks It's Vacuums

2005-05-12T07:29:00.000-05:00

On a quest to lower your daily calorie burn to zero? A home elevator may help.

The Engadget Interview: Bill Gates

2005-05-11T13:44:00.000-05:00

Part 1

We couldn’t pin him down for as long as we’d have liked, but Bill sat down with us at last week’s Windows Hardware Engineering Conference for a one-on-one. The clock ran out before we were able to ask him about Portable Media Center, what smartphone he uses, and of course, getting knighted (among other things), but we were able to rap with him about the launch of the next Xbox console, whether or not Microsoft is going to come out with a competitor for the PlayStation Portable, and the future of Windows Mobile.

Part 2

In today’s second and final installment we asked him about HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray, IPTV, Windows Media Center and DTV, and why the Tablet PC has struggled so much in the marketplace.

Remember the Boston Tea Party?

2005-05-11T06:47:00.000-05:00

The Dutch have past a new law taxing MP3 players based on their capacity. At $4.30 per GB, the cost of a 60GB iPod will increase $235! I hope this does not inspire the U.S. Pardon me, while I go throw up on myself.

Hacker So Evil, He Attacks Himself

2005-05-10T07:07:00.000-05:00

This post is hilarious. Some idiot with no computer skills threatens a member of a chat room with hacking his computer. All he needs to know is the victim's IP address. How does he get it? He asks the victim. The victim politely responds with 127.0.0.1.

Curious as to what runs through the mind of sinister forces of evil? These guys are...

2005-05-09T17:09:00.000-05:00

I know this doesn't necessarily belong in a blog about technology and all this stuff, but hey, we're all techies who love (or at least loved at some point) Star Wars just as much as the next guy/gal/whatever.

Some of you may need to save this for a special occasion, but how about an open door into to the secret diaries of Darth Vadar.

http://darthside.blogspot.com/

VS2005 Recipes?

2005-05-09T16:52:00.000-05:00

Just when the Process Nazi's needed another thing to figure out how to fit into the SDLC. Microsoft goes and puts together a menu of design ingredients to fit all your standardization needs!

So crank up the grill and get your chef suit out, just make sure to bring a lot of beer... cause it's heating up in the kitchen and Microsoft's gonna teach ya how to smoke those guidance templates directly into your solutions.

MSDN Architecture Webcast: Packaging Design and Architecture Guidance for Visual Studio

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032271518&Culture=en-US

Documenting Your Code

2005-05-09T12:01:00.000-05:00

Jef Raskin, the recently deceased father of the Macintosh, has published an article on documenting your code.

The thorough use of internal documentation is one of the most-overlooked ways of improving software quality and speeding implementation.

Interestingly, the publication volume is listed as March 2005. Jef passed away in February. This may be his last writing. The article is good, and worth the read.

Avoid this resting place for your beloved code

2005-05-09T11:22:00.000-05:00

Here's a geek-speak hotspot that challenges the development community to post code that somehow made it to production and may have been violently defended by some esteemed 3-star developer. If you're so inclined, you could snaggle and utilize some of these code snippets if you'd like to become a target of random violence. But I guess we'll save that for our community.developer.sadist group.

On the other hand, some might argue that "what goes on in development should stay in development", as we have all once come through the ranks, but that logic seems to have been broken the moment these treasures were erected. These nifty works of genious are just too damn funny to be silently replaced.

So, for all you uber-geeks, try out this tantalizing "Where's Waldo" game.

http://www.thedailywtf.com

P.S. if you don't find Waldo, you might be a 3-star

What's New in Version 2

2005-05-09T07:56:00.000-05:00

Visual Basic 2005 has several new advances to the language itself. Ken Getz has publishes an article that summarizes the new additions to the language such as the My Namespace and the return of Edit and Continue.

A Sneak Preview of Visual Basic 2005