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Well almost nothing. I'm really enjoying going out to work again. It's nice to be working alongside other people again. Even if there internal development processes make me want to cry. (i.e the complete lack of them)
However, the one thing I do miss is being able to listen to music whilst I work. I'm sat here, with my WMP going through the songs and music I haven't listened to in the last 30 days. Happily coding away to some my more diverse elements of my eclectic collection of songs, movie and tv soundtracks.
Its a real buzz to be writing some C# for the first time in about 9 days. SQL is okay but I'm still a software developer at heart and not a DBA.
Michael
CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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I've been busy working a lot this week and so my visits to CP have been restricted. I've just been trying to catch up with this week's 'lounge' postings.
Damn. The forum has gone down hill really fast hasn't it. What happened to the good old CodeProject spirit and etiquette. I hope it was just a one off, otherwise CP will start to lose its appeal very quickly.
Michael
CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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Things were looking black for me. I thought I was going to have to close my company down.
I've just had a phone call offering me some DBA work... not really my cup of tea but right now a job is a job. May only be for a month or two, but it'll give me a chance to put a little more money into my bank account.
I did something telephony work for this company two years ago. Two years is a long time and whilst it is still the same people that I used to work along, time changes people - so I'll probably feel out of place for a while probably more so than if I didn't know them at all.
Still, I'm looking forward to having people to work alongside again.
Michael
CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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Sounds good
If you ever close down your shop I hope it's because you want to not because you need to...
- Anders
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I think it has a good content to code balance which works well.
regards,
Paul Watson
South Africa
Colib and WebTwoZero.
K(arl) wrote:
oh, and BTW, CHRISTIAN ISN'T A PARADOX, HE IS A TASMANIAN!
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Wow. Things are looking really good.
The C# 3.0 improvements especially LINQ look like a great advance for using data in .NET apps.
Indigo still looks amazing, just what I need for building SOA applications.
Avalon and Atlas look like making developing better interfaces a lot easier.
Vista itself looks very impressive from an end-user point of view. Lots of good security enhancements as well as some cool new APIs. The UI looks like Apple++ and the Sidebar (http://microsoftgadgets.com/default.aspx[^]) looks a little Google Desktop like but with a much greater scope.
Office 12 looks like a great step forward in ease of use and the collaboration features look top-draw as well.
I can't wait to start playing with some of this stuff. (All I need is some money to afford a new MSDN subscription )
Glad I got to see the keynote, it has certainly enthused me about the future - now I just need to find the clients to sell the ideas to.
Michael
CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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Some pretty interesting announcements today. Even that Max app linked on the Lounge is interesting (the way you can combine multiple photos into one "slide" of a show is freaking cool!) and on the Gadgets side I am liking the multi-target approach of desktop, server and online. Gadgets made on site x, site y and site b being sucked into your Start.com experience might just be a damned fine idea.
Also if Windows Vista apps and Windows Vista in general feels and looks like Max then I'll be more compelled to use it. It is nice WinFX works on XP but having the whole OS as one consistent experience is where it is really at.
If Microsoft can keep with what I am seeing, not locking out online services for non-Windows users while offering rich desktop apps, then I am a lot more positive about Vista.
regards,
Paul Watson
South Africa
Colib and WebTwoZero.
K(arl) wrote:
oh, and BTW, CHRISTIAN ISN'T A PARADOX, HE IS A TASMANIAN!
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For those who like me are still very interested in what Microsoft are doing and what they have to say (and I know that I'm in a minority even here at CP), Bill Gate's PDC keynote speech will be live here[^] at 08:30PST - which makes it about 16:30 UK time.
I'm really looking forward to hearing about Office12 and the next version of Visual Studio and Vista has caught my imagination too.
Even though the detractors will always find something bad to say about Microsoft whilst bigging up the competition, Microsoft have a proven track-record for making developers life better and more fun. I'll always be a Microsoft shop for as long as I remain working as a developer.
Michael
CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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Anyone who is not taking stock of what Microsoft are doing is at best deliriously out of it. Whatever they do will impact us as developers.
I am interested in Visual Studio 2005, SQL Server 2005 as well as the WPF, XAML and of course the .NET Framework 2.0.
I just think that Microsoft have made many mistakes with Vista. Maybe it will be great, I can't tell because the marketing and information has been very poor. There have been many disapointments too. I will more than likely use Vista, not bought by me but by my employer though. On that side it will at least be a reasonable upgrade from Windows XP.
I would not be so critical if I did not care. I have used MS for years now and will continue to do so at work for many more. I have high ideals and standards for MS which they are meeting on many levels but not in Vista.
regards,
Paul Watson
South Africa
Colib and WebTwoZero.
K(arl) wrote:
oh, and BTW, CHRISTIAN ISN'T A PARADOX, HE IS A TASMANIAN!
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Paul Watson wrote:
I just think that Microsoft have made many mistakes with Vista. Maybe it will be great, I can't tell because the marketing and information has been very poor. There have been many disapointments too.
I think the problem is that there is no marketing. The only information that comes out of Microsoft is usually by the back-door route rather than a marketing campaign. I don't think any big company knows how to handle the new world of bloggers and web-publishing. Where even the smallest piece of information is jumped on and dissected to the nth degree.
Vista suffered from Microsoft's change of direction in mid-project. Microsoft are trying to move to a more secure, user-friendly operating system. Trying to address the concerns they get from regular users rather than giving the geeks the cool features. A move that I do applaud. Sadly, this change of priority meant that they had to pull a lot of the 'cool' features. Also with all the legal actions against Microsoft from the EU, they've had to move to a more modular approach so that they could build products that meet the 'anti-trust' rulings.
That has led to the multi-version of Vista but also Microsoft are taking advantage to help sell Vista to the corporations by providing slim-downed versions that don't have all the un-necessary 'toys' that distract from work.
Only time will tell whether Vista will be a success, I just wish people would at least wait until the product is further down the line before putting the boot in. The slashdot mentality seems to be growing, even on sites like CP where we used to have reasonable view points.
Anybody who has developed software for a living, should understand the trials and tribulations that Microsoft face and we shouldn't hold them to a higher standard than those of our own products.
Michael
CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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Well said, I totally agree
- Anders
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"Why are you maggots..." LOL
Nice link, thanks Michael.
regards,
Paul Watson
South Africa
Colib and WebTwoZero.
K(arl) wrote:
oh, and BTW, CHRISTIAN ISN'T A PARADOX, HE IS A TASMANIAN!
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There are some interesting Half Life 2 related videos on this site[^]
I like Steam. Its introduction was what made me finally get a broadband connection. The ability to get games direct from the developer has always appealed to me. Sadly, Valve have taken longer then expected to start releasing new content via Steam. The two new HL2 add-ons look great and hopefully they'll address my disappointment[^] with the ending of Half-Life 2.
I really like game add-ons, software that builds on the original product and enhances it in new and fresh ways. So some episodic games would be great in my book.
I'm very much like that with my own software. I love taking a base-line product and adding new features and ideas. The hardest part is writing the original base product .The trick is to break it down into easily digestible chunks. (Another reason I'm a fan of building software from components rather than as monolithic applications). That way I constantly get that feeling of achievement that seeing a new feature working gives me.
Michael
CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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Sad to hear the news that Michael Sheard[^] has died.
His role of Mr Bronson[^] in Grange Hill still remains one of the greatest TV characters of all time.
Not to forget his cameo in 'The Empire Strikes Back' as the unfortunate 'Admiral Ozzel'[^], whose death at the hands of 'Darth Vader' helped to establish the darker aspects of the Sith Lord's character.
He established himself as a 'fan boy' favourite at many 'Doctor Who' and 'Star Wars' conventions. He loved to attend these events and will probably be much missed... even though his ancedotes had been repeated so often that attendees could repeat them off by heart.
A sad loss.
Michael
CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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No matter how the Ashes series turns out, this Summer will be remembered for the way that 'Freddy' Flintoff put the Aussie bowlers to the sword.
It sure makes for entertaining TV. I just wish it was broadcast on the Internet then I could keep track of it whilst working. (Radio isn't the best way to enjoy cricket)
Michael
CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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We'll I finally managed to get the WDevs site transferred to my server. Even though I had a a well tested plan, there were a few teething troubles. Still its up and running now. I'll give it a few days to bed in before I start with the changes.
The first job on the list is to remove the users whose email addresses bounced when we sent out the server change newsletter. Then perform a general tidy up of the files and folders.
I need to talk to Littlecat's web-developement partner to see if she'd be interested in give the site a fresher look... for no money hopefully, as I haven't got any money to spend on the site just yet.
The site could do with some new skins for the blogs too. I'm sure only having the standard WDevs one maybe putting off potential users.
I'm looking forward to working alongside the existing WDevs team to try and create a useful resource for Windows developers who want to blog and create open-source projects.
Michael
CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
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