As you may have noticed, a few things have changed around here. I've moved the jrjBlog to blogs.msdn.com as part of an overall site redesign. (The redesign hasn't happened yet, so don't get all worked up about the fact that this page looks like crap. Please excuse the dust during our construction!) I'm repurposing the jrj.org domain as a personal web page for my family, and refocusing the jrjBlog around a few key subjects. There were a ton of reasons for the blog move (which I will explain in depth in an article at some point) but the bottom line is that the Blogger software I was using didn't support categories and multiple feeds, and just wasn't able to support some of the directions I want to take the jrjBlog in the coming months. Don't worry... all the old archives are still alive, and all the old permalinks still work. I'm not going to convert all the old posts to the new blogging software though, because it was really important to me to start with a clean slate because I'm lazy.
I mentioned before that I'm refocusing the jrjBlog... the blog will be a place for me to talk about my passions.
Computers and SoftwareAt the core, I've always been a geek. I'm fascinated by the software industry, and not just because it's my career. My first "PC" was a Commodore Vic-20, and ever since then I've been hooked. Every time I think I'm getting bored with the software industry, a new revolution comes along that re-invigorates my passion, and nothing has ever had me more excited than the next wave of technologies from MS, including Windows Vista and the upcoming Office 12... it was enough to make me sell my company and come to work for Microsoft. Personal ProductivityOK, I admit it... I'm a personal productivity geek. I've always been into tweaking my personal system, and am highly susceptible to "productivity porn." Admittedly, my work makes personal productivity something of a survival skill, but I have a real passion for the "meta work" of managing all the open loops in my life and work using a series of both digital and analog tools. The journey towards the elusive "perfect system" is just interesting to me as the system itself. Digital MediaConvergence. As computers and software become more powerful, it's increasingly practical to move entertainment experiences (music, movies, television, etc.) into the digital domain, where they mix with your digital memories (photos, home movies, etc.) Anyone who has used a PVR, and has watched HDTV knows they can never go back. PokerI love the game of poker, and not just because there was a time in my life where it was the source of the majority of my income. I don't play as often as I used to, but I still find my way to a casino from time to time, and have been known to whittle away the late hours in front of my computer playing on-line. (To say nothing of my favorite home game, but that's just an excuse to hang out with a few close friends.) Now poker is just a hobby instead of a second job, but it's no less important to me.
Computers and SoftwareAt the core, I've always been a geek. I'm fascinated by the software industry, and not just because it's my career. My first "PC" was a Commodore Vic-20, and ever since then I've been hooked. Every time I think I'm getting bored with the software industry, a new revolution comes along that re-invigorates my passion, and nothing has ever had me more excited than the next wave of technologies from MS, including Windows Vista and the upcoming Office 12... it was enough to make me sell my company and come to work for Microsoft.
Personal ProductivityOK, I admit it... I'm a personal productivity geek. I've always been into tweaking my personal system, and am highly susceptible to "productivity porn." Admittedly, my work makes personal productivity something of a survival skill, but I have a real passion for the "meta work" of managing all the open loops in my life and work using a series of both digital and analog tools. The journey towards the elusive "perfect system" is just interesting to me as the system itself.
Digital MediaConvergence. As computers and software become more powerful, it's increasingly practical to move entertainment experiences (music, movies, television, etc.) into the digital domain, where they mix with your digital memories (photos, home movies, etc.) Anyone who has used a PVR, and has watched HDTV knows they can never go back.
PokerI love the game of poker, and not just because there was a time in my life where it was the source of the majority of my income. I don't play as often as I used to, but I still find my way to a casino from time to time, and have been known to whittle away the late hours in front of my computer playing on-line. (To say nothing of my favorite home game, but that's just an excuse to hang out with a few close friends.) Now poker is just a hobby instead of a second job, but it's no less important to me.
One thing I want to make clear, though... even though I'm moving the jrjBlog to the MSDN blog site, this is still a personal blog. The opinions shared are my own, and don't reflect the views of my employer. In fact, any similarities between my opinions and Microsoft's are pure coincidence. :)
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new blog-- I'm really excited about the opportunity to start out from a clean slate, and have a lot of stuff planned for the near future. Stay tuned!