I, like other ASP.NET developers, have always used a server OS as a development environment - typically due to a objection to having to hack XP in order to get multiple virtual IIS hosts.
So Windows 2003 was good to me, thank you Windows 2003 Server. I ran it on all my environments. Very few complaints about it as a whole
I appear to be one of the few who love Windows Vista as a 'home platform' - but also loved IIS7 from first glance. As a result I was instantly interested in Windows Longhorn so when it was possible for me to get my grubby little hands on a RTM release, that ISO was installed on my Sony Vaio.
Here are a few things I learnt along the way.
In general, Windows 2008 is WAY quicker and more responsive than Vista - but has all the flair - win win situation as far as I am concerned.
Only a few glitches along the way but nothing major
Logitech Webcam (Sphere / Orb) do not appear to be recognised - using the same drivers as Vista.
Skype
The latest version of Skype (at time of writing) did not install on 2008. In order to get skype installed I had to resort to a previous version - I recommend v2.5.0.154 (@ http://www.oldapps.com/download.php?oldappsid=SkypeSetup%202.5.0.154.exe)
I am going to try to upgrade to the latest version from 2.5.0.154 - will let you know!
Live Messenger and Writer
These apps need to be installed from stand-alone installers (http://www.live-writer.de/windows-live-writer-download/ & http://www.techspot.com/blog/129/how-to-run-windows-live-messenger-on-windows-xp-x64/)
I will update this posting with anything else I find different from my vista or 2003 dev experience.
Dr Tanya Byron's Review into computer video games and the internet has been released today.
Dr Byron proposes new codes of practice to regulate social networking sites, such as Bebo and Facebook, including clear standards on privacy and harmful content. The report also calls for a national council to implement the strategy, with a fixed timetable for industry experts; a parents' panel and child development experts to implement her recommendations. The Government has stated that it is committed to implementing all the recommendations in full.
The report, which was commissioned by the Government 6 months ago, concludes that a more robust ratings system is needed for video games aimed at over-12s to allow young people and parents to make a better informed decision about the suitability of a video game's themes and actions.
NetIDme Director of Corporate Relations, John Carr, commented:
We welcome the Byron Review's report, published today, on
children's safety in the digital world. In particular we welcome the fact that she has pointed to the potential of age verification to contribute to child safety and has called on the proposed new UK Council on Child Internet Safety to keep developments and research in that area under review. As a company we will be delighted to work with the Council to demonstrate the huge advantages of age verification software.
DotNetOpenId 0.1.2 has been released (14th March 2008). Get it now from: http://dotnetopenid.googlecode.com
Really pleased to see that Partial Trust scenarios are now supported.
Once again hat off to Andrew Arnott for his excellent work towards this release.
Release notes:
Session state is no longer required for consumers. ( issue 37 ) Partial trust scenarios now supported. Unsafe C# code rewritten in safe code so shared-hosting ASP.NET web sites can now be OpenID providers/consumers. ( issue 14 ) Fixed intermittent authentication failure due to indeterministic signature verification. ( issue 47 )
Just found out today that Daniel Bartholomew is using SharpSTS to implement a Secure Token Server for DotNetNuke. He announces...
Soon, you'll be able to issue your own managed cards through DotNetNuke, which include all the users personal information. I'm also going to write a new provider for DotNetNuke that will allow webmasters to declare what information they should save in their databases.
As a webmaster you'll be able to offer your customers all the personalisation they expect, while offloading privacy and security concerns.
Find out more here on the DotNetNuke site
Barry Dorrans will be talking to Carl and Richard about Implementing Information Cards and SharpSTS on the 18th March 2008.
.NET Rocks! is a weekly talk show for anyone interested in programming on the Microsoft .NET platform. The shows range from introductory information to hardcore geekiness.
I am happy to announce the launch of a project that anyone involved in Identity, WCF or CardSpace will find exciting. It's called SharpSTS.
Working alongside (more learning from) two of my very intelligent friends Barry Dorrans and Dominick Baier, we have launched a comprehensive C# .Net library that aims to simplify the involvement for everyone that wants to develop Information Card security token services.
The releases for SharpSTS live at CodePlex. We also have set up a demo site / 'play' area at https://sharpsts.com.
More news to follow!...
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they
carried us.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a tin, and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints. We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking .
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a van - loose - was always great fun.
We drank water from the garden hosepipe and NOT from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate cakes, white bread and real butter and drank pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because ...
WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no text messaging, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms ...
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from
these accidents.
We played with worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out any eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!
Local teams had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of ...
They actually sided with the law!
This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned ...
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!