By Brian Swanson on 6/24/2005 7:43 AM

I'm testing out the new functionality being offered by ConnectViaBooks.com, that allows me to place my booklists here on my blog.  It was fairly easy to add, doesn't seem to have broken anything else, and offers another way for me to share the books I love with my readers.

If you are reading this site via RSS, you'll have to come to the site to see it in the left column.

 

By Brian Swanson on 6/24/2005 7:41 AM

via Brad McCabe's weblog:

For those of you who are C# programmers and a little miffed about the new “My” namespace that's coming out for VB.NET 2005 developers, there's hope.  C#.Net 2005 is going to be released with a “that” namespace that will closely mimic the “My” namespace that's been discussed by so many...

via IDesign site:

“The My class in VB often simplifies and streamlines many operations, from Network programming to clipboard, to audio access, and so on. What takes sometimes a programming fit in C# can be done in one line using the My class in VB. If VB has Me and My, then C# should have this and That. The That class is the C# equivalent of the VB My class. It is a static class that uses the VB implementation as much as possible, and it requires adding a referencing to Microsoft.VisualBasic. The That...

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By Brian Swanson on 6/20/2005 8:44 AM

via Mital Kakaiya [MCSD.NET]:

Do you know how computer thinks? Play chess with a computer and see "inside PC's brain".

This is a VERY cool site.  It's a java chess game, and after you make your move you will see the computer decide which move it should make based on what it thinks you will do...VERY COOL STUFF!

 

 

By Brian Swanson on 6/14/2005 9:45 AM

via A VC blog:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people
can change the world: indeed it's the only thing that ever has!"
                        -- anthropologist Margaret Meade

By Brian Swanson on 6/13/2005 8:58 AM

I was at my wife's office for lunch today and saw the latest edition of Fortune Small Business, which the cover article spoke of Microsoft using Anthropolgists to study small businesses.  Of course Scoble beat me to blogging about it...

Using Anthropology is something new in the industry that hasn't quite made it to the mainstream. The article discusses Microsoft's efforts to better understand their small business customers and what their “friction” points are in their day-to-day operations.  I thought it was funny after reading the article that Fortune didn't do a good job (in my opinion) of helping people understand why Anthropologists are perfect for this type of work.

So here's my attempt:

First let's define Anthroplogy: The scientific study...

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By Brian Swanson on 6/13/2005 6:18 AM

via Panopticon Central:

“...the 8.0 VB language specification posted up for downloading. It covers all the new language features in VB 2005 and should be completely current with Beta2.”

This is a interesting document as it describes all the ins and outs of the Visual Basic language and changes that are coming with the next release of Visual Studio.

By Brian Swanson on 6/8/2005 7:53 AM

I was contacted today by someone who is a fellow microISV er.  He's actually launched a site and it looks pretty neat so far.

The site is connectviabooks.com.  It's a great site for meeting up with people who have the same interest in books as you.

Here's how they are marketing themselves:

Connect with people who love the same books as you do! Ever read a great book and wanted to discuss it with someone?Ever wanted to find people locally who like the same books as you do?Find people who share your interests, your hobbies or just read the same books.

I've signed up (nickname 'unleadedsw') and created a couple of booklists.  I'll keep checking back on the site and seeing how things progress.

...

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By Brian Swanson on 6/7/2005 9:37 AM

It's hard to believe it's been almost 2 years since the last Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles, but I was there.  I saw what is now finally beginning to come out.  Avalon, Indigo, Whidbey, Yukon...

Registration for the next PDC opened today.  You can get more details here.

I'm planning to go along with a few of my developer friends.  I don't think my company will pay for it though, so I need to raise the money myself....I figure it'll cost me about $3,000 after everything is said and done (Conference Registration, Flight, Hotel, Rental Car, Food not supplied by MS, etc...)

I need to figure out how to add one of those donation buttons to my blog here, so people can help send me to PDC! 

I'll be kicking my after-hours/weekend consulting into overdrive to raise the extra money I need to go to this conference. 

It's worth every penny, especially if you are working on any projects that are in the early stages. ...

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By Brian Swanson on 6/6/2005 7:05 AM

Microsoft announced recently they are beginning the “beta testing” of a new certification.  The Microsoft Certified Architect....

I believe at this point that I am not qualified for this certification...Just to be considered for attempting to become a certified architect you must have a minimum of 10 years architecting experience.  I've been in the computer industry since before I was out of high school...I've done a wide variety of jobs since I found this hobby I get paid for...But, I will now be working towards this certification...This is my new goal...

I think I COULD be qualified for this certification.  This certification is not just about Microsoft technologies, it's about architecting the right solution for the customer/problem.  I've been certified by other software and hardware vendors, so I believe my knowledge extends well beyond Microsoft technologies.  I haven't done a good job of staying current on other operating...

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By Brian Swanson on 6/6/2005 6:25 AM

My wife and I are both enduring “challenges” with co-workers at our jobs.  I found this quote to attempt to help her focus on the job at hand and not on the problems she's dealing with.

“He conquers who endures.” ~Persius