We all know that John Robbins, Jeff Prosise and Jeffrey Richter are .NET Rock Stars. But now it’s official!

I also want to commend the author, Esther Schindler, on a great set of questions.

http://www.AcehAid.org

Thom Robbins should be very proud of his Code Camp idea that he started last May. Not only are Code Camps starting to pop up around the country, but here is one proposed for down under.

http://www.AcehAid.org

Werner Vogels has just been named CTO of Amazon.com.

We can all say “we knew him when”….

Thom Robbins is posting the session proposals for Code Camp III, Mar 12-13.

Follow the “call for speakers” link on that page to submit your session proposals!! They can be formal presentations or informal chalk talks.

I was so happy to see Scott Locks’ post about how the American Red Cross website, the ASP site that is soon to be replaced by a brand spanking new ASP.NET site, really shone during the incredible use and abuse (the good kind … lots and lots of donations) of the last 10 days after the devastation of the tsunamis in SouthEast asia.

Scott is a user group leader (www.caparea.net) and an INETA User Group liaison. He works at American Red Cross and that website is his baby. He has a lot to be proud of.

http://www.AcehAid.org

I’m seeing a bunch of blog postings indicating the the new (and renewed) MVP awards have been announced. Congrats everyone.

http://www.AcehAid.org

While Keith and I have been living on i.m. for the last few days, SB Chatterjee who works closely with Groove has been using Groove’s Virtual Office to help out with aid organizations overseas in disaster relief.

Here is his blog post about that.

Groove also placed their system in other organizations and it is enabling geeks all over world to lend their technical expertise to all of those who are doing their incredible response work. We were also made the same offer (thanks!!) but with Aceh Aid mostly being on Macs, and with a current 20-30K dialup line combined with the fact that I wouldn’t want to have them try to set up VPC Mac on their own…makes it (currently) not doable. Possibly when we succeed in getting them more equipment (and we still need help!!) and they get the broadband they have been promised, we may be able to take them up on the offer.

In the meantime, through Robert Scoble’s blog we had an offer from Mission Mode for Susi and all of her volunteers over there that are spread around indonesia. It will enable them to use a service that becomes a command center for all of their sms text messaging. That will be awesome once it is set up.

from the INETA website

http://www.redcross.org

hooray!

Maybe it will start a “bidding” war among the rich corporations like it has with the rich nations! Wouldn’t that be fabulous!

Maybe after this tragedy has passed, the goodwill will just continue everywhere. Wouldn’t that be fabulous!

I have had no desire to blog lately because nothing seems relevant in the wake of what is going on in Asia.

However, finally, I saw something that definitely cheered me up. Steve Smith is back in the U.S.

http://www.redcross.org