Will Microsoft Meet Occupational Programmer’s Needs?

Contents Defining “Occupational Programmer“ Professionals need Industrial Strength Hobbyists need to Learn Occupational Programmers need Productivity Occupational Programmers need Discovery Occupational Programmers need to Experiment Occupational Programmers need Progressive Disclosure Occupational Programmers need their Skills Grown But Don’t Sandbox Occupational Programmers Focus on Languages and Frameworks, not GUI Tools Not Hard to Serve this HUGE …

Clarifying my Microsoft Developer Division Rant

Contents I Ranted and Eric Rebutted While I Respect the People at Microsoft… …They Become Detached Eric Unconsciously Supports my Thesis! Dismissing the Proposal, Not Solving the Problem Not More Power; Transitionality! Today’s Potential Didn’t Address Yesterday’s Deficiency Nor Does an Orphan Address Yesterday’s Deficiency And a Potential isn’t a Solution Yes, there’s Powershell, but… …

Can Microsoft’s Developer Division Compete Moving Forward?

I’ve been planning to blog about this for some time but just haven’t gotten to it. Well here goes… Contents Is Microsoft’s Approach Failing? After Ten Years; Too Little, Too Late? Providing Solutions Frequently Just Not a Priority Core “Real World” Problems Not Addressed Values “Sugar”-Free Over Productivity Focuses on Details, NOT the Big Picture …

Kudos to Microsoft: Visual Studio Express Tools Free Forever!

I just learned that Microsoft has decided to make the Visual Studio Express tools free forever. This to me shows Microsoft’s acknowledgment that people are not willing to invest their time learning a product that they will eventually have to pay more for then they have funds available or earmarked, especially young people. I greatly applaud …

Introducing How-To-Select Guides

Though I’ve been working on the How-To-Select Guides for many months now, I’ve never gotten around to blogging about them.  Well, it’s about time. For years my company1 Xtras, Inc. via Xtras.Net (and previously VBxtras), the leading reseller of components and tools for C#, VB.NET and VB6, has helped .NET and VB6 developers find and buy components and tools. Unfortunately …