"Developers are from Mars, Managers are from Venus"

The Code Project - Developers are from Mars, Managers are from Venus - The Scrapbook

"Introduction
Developers are from Mars, Managers are from Venus

Developers are from Mars, Managers are from Venus: A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You Want in Your IT Department

Once upon a time Martians and Venusians were made to work with each other, not initially realizing they were from different planets. Then reality set in and they realized they had different internal goals and motivations. Their overall goal should have been the same, and at one time was, but internal conflicts and goals set them against each other. Worse yet, they did not realize the spoke different languages. When a developer spoke, he spoke in a language that the manager thought he understood, but he really heard something different, and vice versa.

Ok, pun over - I think you get the idea. ..."

Some of these are funny and some are just okay. And sadly some just made me nod my head (as in been there, heard that...)

It's a pretty cynical look at the software development process, but then again many in the process are pretty cynical, so I guess it makes sense.

I think my favorite is "Its not a bug, its a documentation issue". I usually say (jokingly), "Oh that's an undocumented feature... " ;)

MSN IM Status in Sharepoint

"Just drag and drop a Content Editor web part on a SharePoint site, open the tool pane and click the Source Editor button. In the text entry window type following HTML:

My presence information:
<span>
<img border="0" height="12" width="12" src="/_layouts/images/blank.gif" onload="IMNRC('email@address.com')" id="IMID1" ShowOfflinePawn=1> Jan Tielens
</span>

The result (the menu showed above pops up when you hover over the image) is:



The magic happens in the IMNRC client-side Javascript function that’s called when the OnLoad event of the image is triggered. This function can be found in the /_layouts/1033/owsbrows.js file. Make sure your put span tags around image and the text, otherwise you’ll end up with some unexpected (but funny) behavior. Also remember that you need to generate a unique id value for each presence information block. Finally, if you don’t want the offline image to show when the user isn’t online, you can omit the ShowOffLinePawn tag. "

Leached in full so I can find it in the future.

This is a cool SharePoint hack that allows you to display MSN IM presence information in a Web Part. You even get the cool IM "actions" as you hover over your name. (Send IM, Email, etc, etc).

This works great for me since internally our Presence stuff isn't setup (and I'm not in a position where I can do anything about it). So I've created a Part with the personal MSN IM contacts for my friends/co-workers...

Nice.

Update #1:
Fixed the actual code...
Doesn't help when I cut-n-paste the HTML into the post and Blogger actually thinks it's real HTML. Damn Blogger, do what I mean, not what I actually do... LOL.

"I'm Going to PDC" wiki Page

SharePoint Wiki - SharePoint.Events - PDC05

This is an interesting wiki where you can list yourself as going to PDC...

This is the first wiki I've ever registered for and edited. It was an "interesting" experience... Like many firsts, it went too fast, I wasn't really sure what I was doing or if I was doing it right, but in the end I liked it.

(via Mart Muller's Sharepoint Weblog - People going to PDC '05)

PowerBlog Released as Open Source

Blogger Developers Network: PowerBlog

"Jon Davis just wrote in to let us know that PowerBlog (a Windows-based desktop blogging client) has gone Open Source:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pwrblog/"

From the SourceForge project site:
"A powerful and intuitive Windows desktop blogging application. Post blog entries to your XML-RPC/Blogger API host, FTP host, or other host. Extensible using .NET assemblies or by using VBScript/JScript scripts. Outlook-style article browsing interface."

From the readme in the source code:
"Version 1.x of PowerBlog was written entirely in VB6. Some of its implementation is documented in the "TECHNICAL" section below.

Version 2.x of PowerBlog was written almost entirely in C#, with parts of the VB6 (1.x) version still associated with the product. It is basically the same as the 1.x version in functionality, but is less bug-ridden, is cleaner, is prettier, and adds a few new features such as experimental RSS subscriptions, web browsing, and an experimental command line blogging application."

Cool.. Tons of source code to play with... ;)

Quote of the day

Software Engineering: From Flash to .NET & Beyond: Quote of the day

"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.

Author unknown"

LOL... Nice.

NT/ACL Security Wrapper Classes for .NET

The Code Project - NT Security Classes for .NET - .NET

"This class library allows access to the Win32 security calls in a .NET friendly way. It encapsulates the concepts of a user, a securable object (like a file, named pipe, directory, etc.), and permissions. This library was written in Managed C++ to simplify the amount of work needed to link to existing Win32 libraries. However, since it exposes all of its functionality via .NET, it can be used from any .NET compliant language, including C# and Visual Basic. The project was written and compiled with Visual Studio 2002."

This seems like an interesting project.

There's been times where I've really needed this info and ended up using WMI (which worked pretty good). This seems much more focused and type safe than WMI...

Referenced in this post is a link to a like MS written project, GotDotNet User Sample: ACLs in .NET.

Microsoft Win32 to Microsoft .NET (1.0/1.1) Framework API Map

Microsoft Win32 to Microsoft .NET Framework API Map

"This article identifies the Microsoft .NET Framework version 1.0 or 1.1 APIs that provide similar functionality to Microsoft Win32 functions. One or more relevant .NET Framework APIs are shown for each Win32 function listed. The intended audience for this article is experienced Win32 developers who are creating applications or libraries based on the Microsoft .NET Framework, but anyone looking for a managed counterpart for a Win32 function could find this document useful. (85 printed pages) ..."

This is a little old (it's dated 1/2004) but still pretty useful. It provides a table/map/matrix of Win32 API to .Net 1.1 BCL.

Some of these are pretty interesting and I like how the different possible .Net options are shown. For example, there's two .Net options for the GetDriveType Win32 API call

GetDriveType
Determines whether a disk drive is a removable, fixed, CD-ROM, RAM disk, or network drive.
System.Management.ManagementObject("Win32_LogicalDisk.DeviceID=\"C:\"").Get
System.Management.ManagementObject.Properties
or
System.IO.DriveInfo.DriveType

I hope it gets updated for .Net 2.0...

Microsoft Architecture Resource Center (ARC)

Microsoft Architecture Resource Center (ARC)

"...July 1st - the Microsoft Architecture Resource Center (ARC) officially went live. The ARC is a new Web site designed to help tackle tough architecture problems with practical advice and tools. ARC is one more way to empower architects and everyone interested in architecture. ARC will serve as a gateway to the specialized content available across Microsoft.com, such as MSDN and TechNet. Enjoy this can't-live-without resource for architects. ..."

This looks like it might be interesting.
Subscribed to the RSS feed...

Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2.0 (MBSA 2.0) shipped

Nelson Araujo's WebLog : Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2.0 (MBSA 2.0) shipped

"Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2.0 (MBSA 2.0) shipped
I'd like to let you all know that Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer 2.0 (aka MBSA 2.0) has shipped. To get the new application, also available in other languages, please visit the product download page at http://www.microsoft.com/mbsa. The download is free and it is very simple to use."

Cool... I like free stuff that helps me keep my notebook locked down.

Removing MBSA 1.2 and replacing it with 2.0 now.

.NET SDK for Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Mind : .NET SDK for Artificial Intelligence

"ArtificialMind is a free Artificial Intelligence platform (SDK) that provides the following services: Search Algorithms for problem solving, Genetic Algorithms and Artificial Neural Networks.

Genetic Algorithms
ArtificialMind Genetic Algorithms is .NET, class library that provides API for use of Genetic Algorithms in .NET applications. ..."

I've always digged the idea of AI. Mostly cause I want a DWIM OS that Does What I Mean, not what I do... That and smarter Bots in Battlefield ;)
(BTW, the BF2 bots are much smarter, but playing co-op is kind of a pain... I just want to play BF2 with bots on a big map with my son... [i.e. minus the smack-tards on the public servers]. Maybe the Mod Dev Kit will help me create my own co-op mod? We'll see...)

This is a free .Net AI SDK that " ... is a free artificial intelligence software platform for .NET that includes search algorithms for problem solving, genetic algorithms, and artificial neural networks. Use ArtificialMind to quickly build artificial intelligence into your own applications."

Now only if I could build some intelligence into ... (err.. um.. backspace, backspace, backspace, DEL DEL DEL)

:|

Junction Shell Extensions 1.1 Released

paraesthesia: Junction Shell Extensions

"I use junction points (aka "reparse points") a lot in my daily tasks. I'm originally a Unix guy; I love hard and symbolic links. Very cool, very flexible. Windows offers a sort of hard link equivalent but doesn't directly provide tools to manipulate them or otherwise deal with them. Instead, you have to use tools like junction to create them.

Even when you do create them, when you're browsing in the Windows Explorer you'll never know they're reparse points because there's no visual cue. The only way to see is if you drop to a command prompt and run a directory ..."

I do not use junction/reparse points nearly as much as I should be. Mostly cause it's not easy...

The Junction Shell Extensions doesn't make it easy to create them, but it does make it easy to see them (which is part of the battle). Coming with both a MSI to install it and the C++ source, this is a pretty cool shell extension...

A must have if you use junction/reparse points (or are thinking you should be using them more ;)

Composite UI Application Block (CAB) Tech Preview 1

Composite UI Application Block Tech Preview 1 Now Available

"... The Composite UI Application Block Community Technical Preview is a source code-based component built on the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 Beta 2 that provides proven practices to build complex smart client user interfaces. It is based on proven design patterns in which rich and complex user interface solutions can be built out of simpler user interface parts that can be independently developed, tested, versioned and deployed. ..."

The CAB CTP is out.

I haven't had a chance to play with this yet (or even with VS2K5 B2+ much), but I'd really like to. I've been in the WinForm biz for a while (um for forever?) and really don't see that changing much. So anything that helps me there is good...

Must... find... time... (must... quit... BF2/WoW) ;)

Past Post XRef:
Composite UI Application Block

Happy Birthday USA

Sing with me... "Happy birthday to you..."

Okay, that's enough. Nice singing... no.. really... it was... um... great.

Our "4th of July, we're not leaving the house, so let's get some good food, but it has to be BBQ" lunch/dinner just got here... It's Red's BBQ, the best BBQ in town (maybe best in state? well it's damn good "Greg Compatible" food in any case...), so I'll be hip deep in beef ribs for a bit. ;)

Got to go.

A Number of EDD/Electronic Data Discovery Resources

DennisKennedy.blog: May 2005 Archives

Dennis Kennedy posts about a couple interesting EDD resources.

One of the referenced posts, "A Gold Mine of Electronic Discovery Expertise: A Conversation Among Veterans of Electronic Discovery Battles", has some quotes from my Practice Partner, Chris Paskach.

It's good to see the word getting out about the EDD work we do...