Canadian User Experience

PDC – The Devil’s Guide To PDC

markrel — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:57:19 GMT

Heading to LA for PDC – this is a good read to get the most of the show.

http://thespiderking.com/wordpress/?p=42

“If you are reading this, you know Microsoft’s Professional Developers Conference is on and is coming up in mere days. I am fortunate enough to be a part of the PDC Core Team; we are responsible for your experience at the event.

I am sure that you have been checking the site, the sessions, the feed and keeping your eye on the blogosphere for scoops and hints of what is to come. There is only one problem; they are not giving you everything you need so I want to provide insider advice on how you can make the most of your trip.”

Technorati Tags: PDC,PDC08,PDC2008,Microsoft

Cross-posted from: http://blogs.msdn.com/mark_relph/default.aspx

Visit Our New Community Blogs

markrel — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 16:14:00 GMT

The Launch Blog was a huge success. We want to keep the momentum going so we have create two new community blogs:

For IT Pros - http://blogs.technet.com/canitpro/

For Developers - http://blogs.msdn.com/cdndevs

These sites are going to be the "hub" of all of our blogging activities and will feature content from not only the Microsoft folks, but from a group of guest contributors from the community.

Check it out..!

Presentations are now posted

Barnaby Jeans — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 18:51:00 GMT

For all of you that had asked about getting copies of the slides, they are now posted online. Head over to http://www.microsoft.ca/launch2005 to download the PPT files.

Tags: [Microsoft] [Launch2005] [SQLServer]

OPML File of Microsoft Canada Bloggers

markrel — Sat, 26 Nov 2005 00:25:49 GMT

We have posted an OPML file you can download to get a list of all the blogs from our team. Enjoy!

http://geeksuave.com/MSDNCanadaBloggers.xml

Too Quiet On The Blogging Front - News From The Road

markrel — Fri, 25 Nov 2005 14:16:00 GMT

It has been a busy few weeks since we left Toronto and the first event on the tour. Since then we have been to Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary, Victoria and Vancouver.

The team has been keeping the blogsphere up-to-date and we wanted to point you to some of what they have had to say.

Jerome tells us that "Some have reported trouble in finding the source files for the Web and Smart Client session for the launch 2005 event DVDs. They should be in a folder entitled WhidbeyRocks" (http://blogs.msdn.com/jcarron/archive/2005/11/14/492455.aspx)

He also has a list of some of the questions they have received while in the various cities. Check it out as they might answer a question of yours!

On The Road - Notes From Ottawa

markrel — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 03:34:00 GMT

A few posts from the crew on the road in Ottawa.

Sasha reports a very full house: http://www.geekswithblogs.net/sashak/archive/2005/11/10/59685.aspx

John talks about arriving in the Nation's Capital - http://blogs.msdn.com/jbristowe/archive/2005/11/10/491259.aspx

Jerome Posts The Answers To The Most Asked Day 1 Questions

markrel — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 03:20:00 GMT

Check out Jerome's Blog for some of the answers to the questions we were asked the most in Toronto:

On To Ottawa! Are You Attending?

markrel — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 15:57:00 GMT

Today the tour is in Ottawa. We are very excited to be visiting the Nation's Capital to bring them the launch.

A few things to those who are planning to attend:

Get there early so that you are registered with a coffee in hand and ready for the big event.

Visit the experts area. We have Microsoft and 3rd Party experts on hand to answer your questions. The area opens at 10am and it gets busy so make sure you stop by with your VS/SQL/Biztalk questions.

Make sure you give us your feedback. (It is the only way we can continue to make these events even better)

Enjoy Ottawa everyone!

Thank-You Toronto!

markrel — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 23:06:00 GMT

Yesterday the Launch Tour kicked off in Toronto. On behalf of the entire team here at Microsoft we want to thank everyone who attended for spending their day with us.

It was a great day and we hope everyone got something out of the presentations, the expert talks and the partner booths. We listened to your feedback and we will make some minor changes in the other cities. Let us know what you thought if you haven't already.

John, Jerome, Barry, Barnaby and Damir had so much fun on stage. If you had a question for them, please do contact them via their blogs.

Many have asked about the presentations. Watch your inbox for an email pointing you to the location of the downloads.

Many people didn't take full advantage of the experts area. For those of you coming to the other cities - be sure to stop by the cabana to ask you questions and to have those deeper conversations with the experts.

Some pictures from the day:

All the photos are here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/launch2005/

Blog Reviews (So Far):

Rob Windsor - The Toronto Visual Studio 2005 Launch Rocked! http://msmvps.com/windsor/archive/2005/11/09/74959.aspx
Dennis Forbes - Multi-Part Review - http://www.yafla.com/dforbes/ (he makes a good point about the Q&A)
Joel and what the launch means to him - http://weblogs.asp.net/jsemeniuk/archive/2005/11/05/429655.aspx
Barry - Hello 2.0 - http://objectsharp.com/blogs/barry/archive/2005/11/06/3570.aspx
John Bristowe - http://blogs.msdn.com/jbristowe/archive/2005/11/08/490662.aspx
Jerome Carron - http://blogs.msdn.com/jcarron/archive/2005/11/09/490771.aspx
Mark will be posting soon at http://blogs.msdn.com/mark_relph

Get the picture feed - http://www.flickr.com/groups/launch2005/pool/feed/?format=rss_200

Be sure to tag your post - http://www.technorati.com/blogs/Launch2005

The team is on the way to Ottawa as we speak! 1 city down, 9 to go!!!

Thanks Toronto!

Subscribe To The Photo Feed

markrel — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 19:44:00 GMT

We are now actively uploading photos to the Flickr feed - http://www.flickr.com/groups_feed.gne?id=63329005@N00&format=rss_200

The Launch Is Underway!

markrel — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 19:22:00 GMT

It's Launch Day!!! Things kickoff this morning with a briefing to the Canadian Press. Check out Mark's blog for a the behind-the-scenes look at the day's events.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/MarkRelphsWeblog?m=69

Launch2005

Sneak Peak @ The Software

markrel — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 18:46:00 GMT

Mark has posted some sneak-peak photos on his blog! :-)

http://blogs.msdn.com/mark_relph/archive/2005/11/04/489083.aspx

Launch2005

We want to hear from you! Blog about the tour you may win a prize!

markrel — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 17:02:00 GMT

Previously, Barnaby posted asking if anyone out there is going to blog about the Canadian Tour - http://blogs.technet.com/barnaby_jeans/archive/2005/10/28/413240.aspx

We really want to see what the blogsphere thinks of the launch. Blog about your experience during the Canadian Tour and about any of the products we are launching and you may win a prize (whether your post is positive or not is completely up to you!)

All you have to do is reply to this post with a link to your blog entry. We will head over and check it out. We will then select a few winners to receive a prize. Most of all, we will be listening to your comments and feedback.

Launch2005

Launch Tour Contest - Wear Your Old Swag And Win A Prize!

markrel — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 16:52:00 GMT

With just 4 days to go before the kick-off of the cross-Canada tour we have come up with a contest for our faithful blog readers! Our theme this year is "Ready To Rock" and while we don't want to give away any surprises, you can just imagine what we might have in store for you at the event. So, just as people wear their favorite band t-shirt to a rock concert, we want to see you in your favorite gear from previous Microsoft launches. So - reach back into the closet and dust off that old VB4 t-shirt, your NT3.5 hat or your Windows 95 "start me up" swag and wear it to your local event.

The blogging crew will be on the lookout for the best (and oldest!) Microsoft gear in the crowd! If you get spotted we will award you with a fabulous prize (and we have some good stuff to give away, trust us).

See you in 4 days at the kick-off in Toronto!

Launch2005

John starts giving a "behind the scenes" view of the launch

markrel — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 22:27:00 GMT

Check out John's post as he starts to talk about the behind-the-scenes work going into preparing for the Launch Tour.

http://blogs.msdn.com/jbristowe/archive/2005/11/01/487722.aspx

Launch2005

John and Jerome talk about the Ask The Experts area at the launch

markrel — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 22:24:00 GMT

The Experts area is the best kept secret about the upcoming launch!! It is another one of the long list of great reasons to attend one of the launch events.

John talks about it here - http://blogs.msdn.com/jbristowe/archive/2005/11/01/487768.aspx

Jerome mentions it here - http://blogs.msdn.com/jcarron/archive/2005/11/03/488617.aspx

Launch2005

Plumbers @ Work - A New Developer Podcast

markrel — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 22:20:09 GMT

Plumbers @ Work is a new developer podcast featuring one of our launch speakers John Bristowe as well as Dan Sellers from the MSDN team.

Check it out - http://blogs.msdn.com/jbristowe/archive/2005/11/01/487491.aspx

Are you attending the launch? Are you blogging about it?

markrel — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 00:09:00 GMT

Barnaby suggests that if you are planning on attending, why not blog about it? http://feeds.feedburner.com/BarnabysCanadianItProWeblog?m=75

Visual Studio.NET and SQL Server 2005 Final Version has arrived

MSDNArchive — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 01:54:00 GMT

It is official, Visual Studio.NET 2005 and SQL Server 2005 final version and redistribution packages of .NET Framework 2.0 are available for MSDN subscribers. Let the new era of development begin!!!!

Microsoft Certifications for .NET 2.0 and SQL Server 2005

MSDNArchive — Thu, 27 Oct 2005 06:52:00 GMT

With the upcoming launch of Visual Studio .NET 2005, SQL Server 2005 and BizTalk Server 2006 it has generated a lot of interest among developers and IT professionals in understanding the new courses, exams and Microsoft certifications. Today, the new updates and changes to Microsoft certification programs were released for .NET 2.0 and SQL Server 2005. You will no doubt find the new certifications are much more specific to one's job. The four core credentials are:

· Microsoft Certified Architects

· Microsoft Certified Professional Developers

· Microsoft Certified IT Professional

· Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist

There are currently five technology certifications with more to follow:

Toronto Registration Has Been Extended!

markrel — Wed, 26 Oct 2005 05:19:26 GMT

As a result of the great interest in the Nov 8^th Toronto Ready Launch Tour event, we have extended our capacity so that you have the opportunity to join us. Don’t miss out, register now!

www.microsoft.ca/launch2005/

Now Available - ReadyBuzz Audio!

markrel — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 17:56:00 GMT

ReadyBuzz is here! The Launch Crew have created a series of short audio/video shows to give you a behind the scenes view to the all of the Launch activities. We will introduce you to the speakers, give you an preview of the content and let you know how the preparations are going!

Subscribe to the RSS for the ReadyBuzz shows - http://feeds.feedburner.com/Readybuzz

We will also publish entries on the main launch blog each time we update the content.

The Latest ReadyBuzz Episodes Are Ready!

markrel — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 17:54:00 GMT

Damir - Getting closer to the SQL Server 2005 Launch Event

markrel — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 20:43:00 GMT

Check out Damir's latest post - Getting closer to the SQL Server 2005 Launch Event

"Today I spent the morning with a few key individuals reviewing the content we will be presenting at the SQL Server 2005 Launch Event starting in Toronto on November 8. It is always great to get input on how what we will be presenting will resonate with you, the audience. Being inside Microsoft I know that there are many things that I would love to show you and talk about when it comes to SQL Server. I live this stuff and I love doing it!! "

Diaries from my Roku SoundBridge - Windows Media Connect

markrel — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 20:40:09 GMT

Jerome once again writes about his ongoing development project with his Roku and dives into Windows Media Connect v2.

Diaries from my Roku SoundBridge - Windows Media Connect