I'm tired of forgeting where ClickOnce application are installed on Windows XP, so I'm posting it here.
C:\Documents and Settings\userprofile\Local Settings\Apps
For the past 6 months I've been continuing my education at Walden University and participating on their advisory community. At first I was skeptical that the community would provide much value. However, I'm pleased to report that Walden has implemented many changes in response to feedback from the community. An example of this is the new "Walden Experience" showcased on their homepage at www.waldenu.edu.
Additionally, a colleague on the advisory community recently spotted an article on MSN that lists Walden as one of the “Top 10 Colleges for Adults”, with the likes of Stanford University!
http://encarta.degreesandtraining.com/articles.jsp?article=featured_top_10_colleges_for_adults>1=27001
I don't know if it's a revelation or simply the fact that I'm through with my heavy workload time of the year... but I had good thoughts and conversations today.
As an Enterprise Architect, part of my job is facilitating strategies. Until now, I've sought the right outlines, formats, etc to communicate strategies. Over the past 2 years I've facilitated multiple strategies, but executive leadership keeps asking for plans.
I've always taken their requests for plans as a negative, thinking that we missed the mark on our strategy. Today, I realized that we've been going about things the right way all along. A strategic plan can be executed and is what matters in the end. However, you must first define a strategy so that people are willing to listen to a strategic plan. The fact that people are now asking for strategic plans means we've succeeded in communicating the strategy.
Now my challenge is to get people to understand that annual strategic plans, strategies, and strategic plans are each different and necessary. Annual strategic plans are long term (3-5) years and are re-visited each year. Strategies address gaps or drill in on specific parts of your annual strategic plan. Both annual strategic plans and strategies should be technology agnostic. Strategic plans are technology specific and define "how" you will execute on a strategy.
The point is... you can't define a strategic plan without first defining the strategy, and if the strategy is well thought out, it should also tie to annual strategic plan. Hopefully this makes sense and brings clarity to the Strategic Planning process.
Note: If this post was interesting for you, I suggest you review "Four Fatal Flaws of Strategic Planning" posted by Ed Borrows on HarvardBusiness.org. I believe I'm running into the dreaded mistake #3 "Failing to Link Strategic Planning with Strategic Execution".
My son informed me yesterday that we have the notorious 3 flashing red lights on our Xbox 360. This is the third time in three years that we've had this problem.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/907534
I called Xbox support, initiated a repair order, and will be waiting another month before my son can play it again. I'm amazed by the lack of quality hardware in the Xbox. Fortunately they keep repairng it at no cost to me, but I'm getting tired of annual repairs.
A while ago (while still at Microsoft), I created a diagram that provided a functional breakout of the various versions and feature of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server. I presented this diagram to customers, user goups, etc. Eventually, I posted it to the internal Microsoft document library (ICE) thinking that someone may want to use it.
This morning, I was reading some research from Gartner about Portals and discovered something interesting... They're using my diagram in Microsoft's 2007 SharePoint Products and Technologies in Action, by Lou Latham, and Mark R. Gilbert., June 2007.
Once I discovered this, I was curious to see if anyone else was using it and I found a slightly modified version here.
For most people it doesn't matter where some of these research sources come from. However, this small social discovery was personally gratifying for me.
I was search for information on SAAS and ASP on goolge tonight and for some reason google thinks I'm a virus... I think they need to double check their logic.
We're sorry...
... but your query looks similar to automated requests from a computer virus or spyware application. To protect our users, we can't process your request right now.
We'll restore your access as quickly as possible, so try again soon. In the meantime, if you suspect that your computer or network has been infected, you might want to run a virus checker or spyware remover to make sure that your systems are free of viruses and other spurious software.
If you're continually receiving this error, you may be able to resolve the problem by deleting your Google cookie and revisiting Google. For browser-specific instructions, please consult your browser's online support center.
If your entire network is affected, more information is available in the Google Web Search Help Center.
We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope we'll see you again on Google.
My Office and SharePoint integration keeps breaking, causing my browser to crash every time I open an office document through SharePoint v2. I suspect a patch or something related to Office 2003 was recently installed on my machine.
I'm posting my SharePoint/Office Integration fix here, so that I'm prepared the next time it breaks. :)
[Fix]
Unfortunately MSFT's out of the box resolution from the KB article didn't help (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/833714). However, I didn't find a resolution to my problem as follows...
I had the same problem and found that I still had an Office10 folder on my system even though I am now using Office 2003. The Office10 folder contained owssupp.dll while the Office11 folder did not, so I copied the file. With the same version of owssupp.dll in both of my Office folders, I can now edit documents in WSS libraries.
If this doesn't work for you, a workaround is to check out the document and eitheer open it in Explorer view or right click and download (save as) the document.
Once I copied the owssupp.dll to each office folder (10, 11, 12 for me), then it worked. :)
Wow, just 30 minutes after posting about my continuing education... that blog entry showed up in my google search results. Obviously, this wasn't helpful in my search for old articles that I've posted, but it amazed me that their crawler picked it up already!
I finally took the plunge and decided to go back to school to get a bachelors degree. My only real purpose at this point is to get the paper so that I can stop fighting against HR every time I get a job. Plus, the only non-lateral career paths for me at this point are Director and above, which typically require a Masters degree. Perhaps I’m destined to fight with HR until I get that illustrious Masters degree. L
On a related note…
As part of my continued education, I’m required to write an admissions essay. Part of the essay requires a section about research so I’ve been scouring the Internet for old articles that I’ve written. Surprisingly, I wasn’t able to find any of my old C# Help articles, but I did find a code project article where someone referenced a news group posting that I made in 2003!
Overall my family, friends, and I are pleased with my new job. We’ve actually been able to use my travel points to take real vacations (New Orleans, Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando). My wife often reminds me that I hadn’t taken any vacation or sick time since I entered consulting 5 years ago.
Things are OK at work. Like most that leave MS, I get frustrated with the manusha of the corporate world. However, my experience over the last year as an Enterprise Architect has been worthwhile. My breadth in all vendors products and technology strategy has increased. I’m especially glad that I pushed for the position and level that I did (top architect, reporting to directors).
From a career perspective, I do feel like I’ve slowed down a bit (no trail blazing, no industry recognition, little contact with industry leaders, etc). However, I’ve always been overly career focused and have the credentials jump back into the fast lane once my family is ready. In addition to quitting MS, I also quit community which contributes greatly to my career slow down. No more INETA, user groups, regional notoriety, presenting/speaking (except work of course), etc. In fact, my old technical contacts tell me often that I fell off the face of the earth when I joined MS… but my friends and family actually get to see me now.
What I miss… The bad of my new job
Outlook and Smart Phone connectivity - We use notes L
Less meetings - Everyone wants me in their meeting and I have little time to do my work
Control of my own schedule - Meetings, working remotely, nobody checking to see if my office light is on
Working with bright individuals that perform (little dead weight for the most part)
Modern work styles and concepts – Things I got used to are now radical culture shifts
MS 100% coverage 0% co-pay Benefits
UBI bonus
What I don’t miss… The good of my new job
No Time tracking - my level is just considered overhead, so I don’t charge to projects
No Status Reports - I drive toward annual goals instead of weekly ones
Not getting thrown under the bus or overly scrutinized
Able to take vacation - at least without financial (UBI) penalty
Coming home every night, watching my kids events, helping out at home
Lite travel to conferences, vendors, etc. No more living in the airport, but still get out of Cedar Rapids
Weekdays events with friends and co-workers. Someone to grab a beer, movie, golf, etc with
Noticing and utilizing new businesses, restaurants, etc that pop up (i.e. not being disconnected with my home town)
Key factors I’m glad I considered
Work life balance
The right level
The right position
Leaving on good terms
Key factors I wish I’d considered
Missing a 1 year of the review cycle (i.e. factor in a raise)
In summary, I suppose I miss MS, but not MCS at all. J
The following graphic is my attempt to define the evolution of the web in a graphical manner.
My local .NET user group (CRINETA) has had a bumpy road recently after loosing several key contributers. I stepped down as leader of the group around 10 months ago. Since then, I've tried to stay involved the group through email, but I'm typically unavailable to attend meetings. The information below are some of the lessons learned during my 3 years running the user group. I hope that other user group leaders find this information helpful.
Associations
There are many International and National organizations out there to with the sole purpose of supporting user groups. For a .NET user group, make sure your user group is registered with INETA and Codezone. A few other organizations that I know of are PASS and Cullumis
Sponsorship
This is an area that many groups struggle with however, it's actually pretty easy to obtain SWAG, funding, etc from sponsors. Associations often provide a quartley kit of SWAG for their members, however that isn't typically enough for a thriving user group. To really keep the SWAG and funding rolling in, you need to contact companies directly. Most companies have user group programs that are free to join, and they're always looking for new members. These companies are typically 3rd-partly software shops, development magazines, book publishers, local businesses and local consluting companies. For a list of known user group sponsors see the INETA User Group Specials page.
Once you've obtained your sponsorship the question of "where to draw the line" always come up. Many sponsors will give you their expectations up front, however local businesses and consulting companies are a differnt breed. I heard mixed opinions about user groups involvement with local companies. My personal view is that it's that they can be one of the best resources for a user group, but you must know where to draw the line to avoid conflicts with sponsors and your members.
Marketing
This a is key element to starting and maintaining a user group. Sponsors and local businesses play a key role in marketing a user group. Not only will they invest in community but they'll promote their investmest. Some common marketing techniques are word of mouth, flyers, and mass emails. Other approaches that I've found useful are advertising at local venues that attract a technical target audieance (movies theatres, gaming events, best buy, etc). Also, make sure you utilize your existing membership to advertise the user group. Ask them to post your flyer at their business or run a bring a buddy campain. You can reward their contribution with additional prize raffles.
Topics & Speakers
Topic selection and communicaiton can make or break a user group. Poll your membership often on their satisfaction with the group and topic selection. Ask for topic suggestions and guest speakers. If you're struggling with feedback, the safe bet is to present on the latest technologies. Lastly, you can also lookup/contact other groups in your region to see what topics they're presenting. This can often help both group since they may have talented speakers, but they've already covered their subject matter with their local group. In this sceneria a speaker exchange typically serves both group well and give the speaker more a wider audiance.
User group in my region are:
Cedar Rapids - CRINETA
Des Moines - IowaDNUG
Minneapolis - TwinCities.NET
Omaha - FunWith.NET
South Dakota - Code Prairie
Wisconsin - Wi-ineta
If you're not aware of other user groups in your area, you can also look them up on the INETA website.
Over the last 10 months, I've learned quite a bit about some of the things that you can do to lessen the pain of weekly travel. Here a few tips..
Avis Preferred
Avis, like many rental car agencies doesn’t always have their fleet of cars right outside the airport. It’s typical for me to wait 5-20 minutes for their shuttle to arrive at the airport. Next, there’s the 5-10 minute drive to the rental agency. You’ve already waited 10-30 minutes, do you really want to wait in line another 5-30 minutes once you get there to get your car? You can avoid this by signing up as an Avis Preferred member. As a preferred member, my preferred type of rental car is ready for me the moment I step off the shuttle. The Avis shuttle driver typically tells me my space number before we get there or there’s an electronic billboard for me to look up my number. Membership is especially nice if you’re flying into any cold regions during the winter, since they start and warm up the car for you before you arrive. In summary, this saves time and makes travel a bit more comfortable.
Airline and Hotel Programs
You can never be signed up in enough FREE frequent traveler programs and they offer nice rewards (free hotel stays, free airfare, upgraded seats/rooms, pre-boarding, guaranteed reservations, etc). You should know what airlines carriers are prominent at your local airport and which hotels you prefer. I suggest you sign up for a minimum of 3 from each of the following categories in case your primary choice isn't always available.
Airlines Programs: American, United, Northwest (NWA), Delta, Continental
Hotels Programs: Hilton, Marriot, Hyatt, Priority Club (Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Staybridge, Candlewood), Starwood (Four Points, Sheraton, Aloft, W Hotels, Le Meridien, Luxury Collection, Westin, St. Regis)
Airline Onboard Laptop Power
Do you constantly find yourself fighting/tuning your powers levels in an attempt to get through those final 20 minutes of a movie? If so, there is a solution. Most major airlines offer a power port in business, first class, and select coach seating (i.e. exit row). This could become a crucial travel device if (knock of wood) the FAA ever decides to require batteries to be removed from laptops. For more information see Seat Guru. For a visual of the power ports see American Airlines Website.
Frequent Flyer Challenges
I can't speak to all of the airlines, but American Airlines offer multiple frequent flyer challenges to help weekly travelers get to the gold, platinum, and executive platinum much quicker. These challenges are not widely known or listed on American's website. However, you can call into customer service and request to participate in one of the challenges. For more information see the AAdvantage Gold and Platinum Challenges page of the FewMiles' Unofficial Guide to American Airlines AAdvantage.
Credit Card Rewards
Our companies credit credit card of choice is American Express (AMEX). Singing up for American Express Membership Rewards is $120 per year, but it really adds up with weekly travel expenses and the redemption items are well over the membership price.
The airport outlet scavenger hunt
In everyone airport I visit, people are walking the aisles looking for those vacant AC outlets. A simple way to avoid this problem is to carry your own AC splitter. It adds almost no room or weight to your current bag and can REALLY come in handy. It's also great for those occasions where you find a vacant outlet, but need to charge your cell phone and laptop.
Limited Hotels with wireless Internet
I stay in a wide variety of Internet enabled hotels during my travel, but they all seem to provide the service slightly different. I found myself packing a LONG Ethernet cable (to reach the bed or couch of course), and adding new SSID's to my wireless profile each week. Eventually I stumbled across this great solution from Linksys. They offer a Wireless-G Travel Router with SpeedBooster. This wonderful device is well worth the price and can be picked up at most Best Buy locations.
The first thing I do when I arrive at my hotel room is plug in my travel router. I have it configured with the same wireless security as my wireless network at home. This allows me to access the Internet securely while on the road without additional configuration and avoids cluttering up my wireless profile . Whether you’re visiting friends/family or staying a hotel with only wired Internet, you learn how incredibly useful this device can be.
I recently installed a slew of my normal applications on my personal laptop. Unfortunately this somehow messed up my Office 2007 or at least Word 2007.
Problem: Word does not open documents when I double click on them. Instead it opens up empty. When I close it, it crashes, restarts, and repearts the process until Office Diagnostics kicks in (which doesn't find anything).
Solution: I found this wonderful post on the MSDN forums.
http://forums.microsoft.com/TechNet/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=427367&SiteID=17
Basically, rename two folders in your registry. Go to Start button/All programs/Accessories/Run and type in 'regedit' and then follow the path HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Office/12.0/Word . . . . once there, rename the folder called 'data' to 'olddata' and the folder called 'options' to 'oldoptions' (Word will recreate the 2 folders once they do not exist).
Wala! The next time I opened a word document everything was back to normal.
With mixed emotions, I have to announce that this week I started a new job with Rockwell Collins as an Enterprise Solutions Architect. My focus will be on SOA, MOSS, TFS, and .NET development. This news came as a shock to many people, but those close to me knew that my family and I had struggled with MCS travel for a while.
July 2nd was my final day as a Microsoft employee. Leaving Microsoft was a VERY tough decision for me, but it was ultimately the right decision for my family. I enjoyed working with the talented individuals at Microsoft over the last 2 years and will miss being part of the Microsoft team. I left the company in great standing, so maybe I'll re-join Microsoft sometime in the future. Of course, I'll probably have to relocate or be ready to transition into a less technical role.