I'm sure most people already know this, but there is a category specific RSS feed from Microsoft for Knowledge Base articles. Very cool and helpful. You can subscribe to only the ones you care about...
http://support.microsoft.com/selectindex/?target=rss
A new comic aimed at geeks: Bug Bash, by Hans Bjordahl. Cool, subscribed!
[Scobleizer: Microsoft Geek Blogger]
One of the things that most IT shops try to get a handle on is the use of Access databases or Excel spreadsheets masquerading as a database. I did a project for a large bank a couple of years ago and we audited this very thing. It turns out this ONE bank had over 450 individual MS Access databases in use. Worse, several of them were instrumental to various processes!
So what’s the problem? Well, let’s start with lack of controls and auditibility…in light of the recent hysteria over Sarbanes/Oxley, this is no small concern. Then what about the quality of the data? I would say that more than 70% of these types of apps import data from some corporate resource parse it into the shape they want it and use the resultant data as the basis for decision making. Do these users *really* understand the subtleties of the data? Do they really get the model? What about change control? I could go on, but you get my point.
Unfortunately, when you take the time to talk to these renegade users, it turns out that we are to blame!
People just want to get there jobs done. Many times these domain experts have great ideas and go to the IT group for help. More often than not, they are met with either sneers and contempt or false promises. When the solution doesn’t get delivered or doesn’t get delivered correctly, they take matters into their own hands. And before long, you have 450 small databases in the wild.
How do we fix it? We have to embrace the needs of the users. If your IT shop can’t deliver an app or tool quickly enough for the users needs, let them do it…but control the tools and control the data. Provide standards for end –user tools and provide documented services that the user can consume in order to get accurate, auditable data. In the end, let go of what doesn’t matter and control what does.
In no specific order:
X1
NAnt
FXCop
DebugView
Virtual PC
Araxis Merge
MemProfiler
NewsGator
What are your favorites?
Virtual PC, Virtual Server or VM Ware...pick your poison...but I honestly don't know how anyone working in the IT space can live without these tools. To say that setting up a virtual environment is life changing is not far from the truth...
We are starting to work toward a set of UI standards for our 'Web Based' applications. I use the term 'Web Based' specifically because most of our mission critical apps are not traditional thin-client but are what Microsoft refers to as 'Smart Clients'. For those of you not familiar with this type of app, they are essentially desktop apps deployed over the web with automatic updating and such built in. You can find out much more starting here.
With that in mind, the first path that one of my peers went down was the Microsoft Logo Standard. However, this doesn't really scale well to web apps in general. I thought about the Inductive User Interface, but that also leaves something to be desired.
My concern is that we lock into an 'Old-School' standard that will not allow us the flexibility to build truly intuitive user interfaces. It is well established that developers do a TERRIBLE job designing user interfaces. It is equally well established that developers will use UI standards as a justification for badly designed screens or navigation.
Ideally, I would love to develop a strong standard that provides solid guidance without stifling innovation. Anyone have any ideas?
This sort of thing drives me crazy! Admittedly I am a big Microsoft fan but...even with that properly balanced the lack of logic and understanding is astounding. Sure, Microsoft has botched things pretty nicely from time to time (remember Bob? Visual Basic for DOS?) but for the most part those of us who make a living working in the IT space owe said living (at least in some small part) to Microsoft.
Think about it...every BSOD that ever occurs gets blamed on Windows. In the end, an overwhelming percentage of those problems come from badly written device drivers. Problems with your USB device? Maybe it is because your vendor doesn't properly identify their devices. It would do everyone well to read some of Raymond Chen's articles. It is truly fascinating to hear how many times Microsoft tried to "do the right thing" and tighten up the OS...only to have that move stymied by large vendors with sloppy programs.
If you have ever written a commercial application, you can empathize in some small scale.
Now, if I could just get my DOS 3.0 application that needs to load a bunch of drivers into high memory to work properly in a command window on XP...
Our QA Lead (who totally rocks) sent me this parable recently...I thought it was brilliant.
"In ancient China there was a family of healers, one of whom was known throughout the land and employed as a physician to a great lord. The physician was asked which of his family the most skillful healer was. He replied, 'I tend to the sick and dying with drastic and dramatic treatments, and on occasion someone is cured and my name gets out among the lords. My elder brother cures sickness when it just begins to take root, and his skills are known among the local peasants and neighbors. My eldest brother is able to sense the spirit of sickness and eradicate it before it takes form. His name is unknown outside our home.’”
I have noticed an odd phenomenon in Corporate America...I call it the 'Homer Factor'. Expectations for performance are consistently downgraded in order to compensate for the lowest performing members on the team. It is absolutely maddening to me! You try to build a great team and have that team become highly productive. Then, just about the time you are making progress, management steps in and lowers the bar in order for Homer to crawl across. Has anyone else seen this? How do you address it?
My name is Jeff Bagwell and I am an application Architect (Funny...I write that as if there needs to be a 12 step program for my profession). I focus almost exclusively on building large distributed systems using .NET and other Microsoft technologies...yes, Microsoft (feel free to insert your own punch line here).
My current engagement is with a large multi-national corporation. I have been working exclusively for this company for over 2 years! The good news is that we have done some really great work during that time. My areas of interest are SOA, Software Factories and Domain Specific Languages.
OK...so what's the point? As with most blogs, there really isn't one. I anticipate that most of my posts will be regarding technology. I also hope, without breaking any confidences, to post vignettes and observations from my day-to-day work here in the trenches. Posts will be both short and long as time permits.
I hereby begin my illustrious blogging career (watch out Scoble) !