Especially happy to hear this one. Eric is on my INETA Committee (User Group Rleations Committee). He runs the Chatanooga .NET User Group. He is just relentless in trying to help out other developers and other user group leaders. We can’t hold this guy back he has so much energy and passion. His energy benefits user groups all over his region and all over the world.
Kate Gregory: C++ MVP
Hooray for Kate. She’s just became an MVP too. Well, she has been most valuable and very professional for a long long time. But the award is new. Kate is an MSDN Regional Director out of Toronto, author of numerous books (including the new Visual C++.NET KickStart), very involved wtih the Toronto.NET user group, a popular conference speaker and INETA speaker and just an all round really nice person. I finally met her last May after having so many people ask me if I knew her. We didn’t even need an introduction. Just looked at each other and said “Kate?“ “Julie?“ 🙂
Here you can read more about what Kate does and has done…
Sorry if I’m drooling, but has become a good friend and I’m just thrilled that she got the MVP award.
my backup commitment progress
Well, I have spent 4 hours trying to create a backup that I will be able to automate.
I have had to throw 3 cd’s away.
I really have to get some WORK done!
What do YOU use for backup?
This is a survey for contractors/independents who are responsible for their own data backup in what is likely your home office.
What software do you use?
Do you back up to cd, dvd, writeable cd/dvd’s, tape another hard drive?
Is your backup process automated?
How often?
Full always? Differential? Incremental?
How do you store your back up media?
Do you floss daily? How often? After every meal? Waxed or waxless? 🙂
Shelley’s State of the Union Analysis
I love Shelley Powers’ perspective on things because it assures that I stop and think twice about what I am hearing or reading.
She prefaces her analysis with this
But it was a life affirming moment when I realized that I didn’t have to make a reasoned response. I am not a Journalist, no not even a wannabe one. I am not an elected official or member of the goverment or candidate for office. I am a regular person, nobody of any importance, and as such I can take all that massive swirling heaving, maelstorm in my brain and literally paint this page with it — and it’s okay! Because I am a Citizen.
The “old” MVPs
Ken Getz has been an MVP since the program began in 1994.
Kathleen Dollard has been an MVP for years.
While we are all very busy congratulating the brand new MVPs (as we should be and I am doing it as well), don’t forget there are many who have been MVPs year after year for a long time. I think they should be offered continued congratulations as well. The MVP program is growing because there are just so many more people getting very actively involved in the community, which is exciting. But do remember it’s roots. MVP status does not roll over. These people have been earning it year after year. Also, there are MVPs for every area of Microsoft technologies : consumer applications, windows operating systems and server systems, office applications and developer applications.
Here is the mvp website www.microsoftmvp.com
oh I just have to blog about another new MVP
It’s Scott Hanselman. Absolutely well-deserved. Scott almost missed his “congrats” email since Outlook dumped it into his spam folder! That makes me laugh because I think this is what happened to a few other very important emails that I waited for from Microsoft about participation in some beta programs. Luckily I wandered over to BetaPlace, logged in and found them on my page.
another mvp
hooray, it’s James Avery, who seems to be attempting to keep an updated list. Eventually there will be a full list from Microsoft, but there is a little due diligence to be done in between.
I know lots of Gurus for hire
This keeps coming back to me. These bright stars in our industry. But everyone is afraid to ask them if they are available, affordable or interested. In fact, people probably assume that they are none of the above. I am going to figure out a way to make a bridge. Oh, another pet project, JUST what I need. (Not me by the way, INETA and blogging keep me way too busy :-))
From Coder to Developer
James Avery points out Mike Gunderloy’s upcoming book which I have had in the back of my head from some conversations with Mike. I’m glad James brought it up to the part of my brain that is closer to the keyboard. Mike writes the most wonderfully practical and educational books (much like is no nonsense Daily Grind!). I checked the description of the book on Amazon. It sounds like it is going to speak to MANY MANY people out there. I know from my user group. It’s the people who don’t want to show you their code. They know that they want to get to the next level and not just write programs that work, but write well-architected applications that really leverage the development tools.
So here is the description of the book:
Are you ready to take the leap from programmer to proficient developer? Based on the assumption that programmers need to grasp a broad set of core skills in order to develop high-quality software, “From Coder to Developer” teaches you these critical ground rules. Topics covered include project planning, source code control, error handling strategies, working with and managing teams, documenting the application, developing a build process, and delivering the product. All of the techniques taught in this unique book are language and platform neutral, and were selected to help you effectively design and develop complex applications.
So if James’ post has a link to my blog and then this post points back to that post is that going to create some cyclical blog thing that brings down the internet or something? (kidding)
okay back to my deployment…