Brian Goldfarb's Blog : ASP.NET

MIX09 – Register by Feb 27 and save $300

bgold — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 08:49:31 GMT

MIX09 is going to be amazing. I can’t give away the details, but as the keynote owner for Scott Guthrie (as I have been every year, it’s a glorious job to be the man behind the curtain :)) and I can tell you this year is on track to be the best ever.

We will be bringing to market some amazing technology, setting the stage for the future of our Web and RIA technologies, showing off the great work of many of our amazing partners, and so much more. I know times are tough, but if you can swing it or tell a friend do it.

To help with costs, 3rd night’s on us now :)

http://visitmix.com/News/Free-Third-Night-at-The-Venetian

Let me know if you have any questions! or feedback on what you want to see in the day 1 keynote :)

Microsoft Web Platform Installer Release Candidate – Now works with XP and Windows 2003!

bgold — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:37:57 GMT

I'm going to blatantly steal Bill Staples words since they were so good :)

"I’m excited to announce the availability of the Release Candidate version of the Microsoft Web Platform Installer (Web PI).

Web PI is a free tool that makes it simple to download and install the latest components of the Microsoft Web Platform, including IIS, ASP.NET, Visual Web Developer Express and SQL Server, along with a lot of cool IIS extensions like URL rewrite and ASP.NET MVC.

Web PI offers a simple experience for downloading and installing the entire stack through a single installer to help you obtain the software you need to build and run a complete Web solution on the Microsoft Web platform, whether you are using Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, or Windows Server 2008.

Run Web PI to get started and then run it again anytime to check for new extensions to the platform. Every time Web PI is run it checks online to ensure the most current versions and new additions to the Microsoft Web Platform are downloaded. Give Web PI a try today!"

BizSpark is here -- easy access to Software, Support, and Visibility for startups

bgold — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 23:48:39 GMT

Today, we announced BizSpark, a global program designed to help accelerate the success of early stage software Startups. This is an awesome program that is really going to change the way startups evaluate technology usage. Choosing Microsoft, not only gets you best of breed technology solutions, but now marketing, demand generation, support, and more! The net cool thing here is a startup can build a killer software app in the cloud and money off it for 3 years for $100 -- pretty sweet.

By joining BizSpark, Startups get:

Software: fast and easy access to Microsoft’s current full-featured development tools, platform technologies, and unlimited production licenses of server products for immediate use in developing and bringing to market innovative and interoperable solutions with no upfront costs and minimal requirements. Startups will also get access to the community technology preview (CTP) of the Microsoft Azure Services Platform.
Support: professional technical support from Microsoft (MSDN) and community support from BizSpark Network Partners around the world who provide a wide range of support resources for software startups. Network Partners are incubators, investors, advisors, government agencies and hosters who are vested in software-fueled innovation and entrepreneurship.
Visibility: a dedicated online startup directory, BizSparkDB, on the Microsoft Startup Zone website (www.microsoftstartupzone.com) where we will highlight promising companies from around the world, including the “BizSpark Startup of the Day”. Through their relationship with Microsoft and BizSpark Network Partners, startups will achieve global visibility to an audience of potential investors, clients and partners.

Plus, there is no up-front cost and no commitment (leave whenever you want). At the end (after 3 years), you pay $100. Yea that's it.

We've also lined up hosters like goGrid, Rackspace, or Opsource to help get you started.

If you want in, startup can get access to BizSpark either through a Network Partner (e.g. TiE, NVCA, select Venture Capitalists, and over 300+ entrepreneurial-focused organizations with a strong track record to helping young and promising technology companies success or through Microsoft BizSpark Program Leads (called “BizSpark Champs”). Startups can find both at Microsoft.com/bizspark.

Partners like TechStars, KPCB, Angel Capital Association or the European Business Angel Network are on board with us.

Eligibility for the program

BizSpark is available to startups that fit the following criteria, nominated by Network Partners or MSFTEES:

A private company building a software-based product or service
In business for less than 3 years
Less than USD $1M in revenue (2-4 local variants exist)
Participation lasts up to three years

Availability:

BizSpark is immediately available worldwide in most countries
82 countries have a BizSpark Program Lead (“BizSpark Champs”) to provide support

Offering Details:

Please visit www.microsoftstartupzone.com/bizspark for detailed program information.

Spread the word (I'm becoming a champ too so I can help)

Open Source apps on Windows - made easy!

bgold — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:50:07 GMT

Today we launched the new Microsoft.com/Web website for web developers and web professionals. This new site not only aggregates the latest news and advances in the web development community, but it also provides a home for the new Microsoft Web Platform Installer Beta (Web PI) and the Microsoft Web Application Installer Beta (Web AI).

The Web PI aims to replace the days of tedious searches for product installs and updates. Now, in one quick install, users will be able to download all the tools they need to get a Windows server box ready for hosting or get the software they need to start building web apps. Currently, the Web PI installs the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, IIS7.0 and Extensions, IIS FastCGI, Visual Web Developer 2008, SQL Server 2008 Express, SQL Server Management Studio, ASP.NET MVC and Silverlight Tools. We are also working on making it easier to get up and running with some of the web’s most popular open-source and .NET community applications through The Web Application Installer. The beta release will include DotNetNuke, Drupal, Gallery, Graffiti, osCommerce, PHPBB, and Wordpress. New applications will be evaluated and added to the Web AI Gallery regularly. Together, Web PI and Web AI give users the tools they need to build and run web solutions on the Microsoft Web Platform.

We've gotten a lot of feedback about the challenges involved with getting the platform, the perplexity of knowing which products are needed and the general interoperability with web technologies. We are trying to clear up that confusion and to improve how the Platform works with the languages and applications and that power the Web today. The launch of /Web and the Web PI and Web AI is a step in the right direction. The Microsoft Web Platform is a comprehensive, powerful and flexible set of tools and technologies for web professionals. We’re making it easier to get started working with the Web and that’s a good thing.

Visit the new Microsoft.com/Web to learn more about our Web platform and download both the Web PI and Web AI. Get it, use it and tell us what you think. We’d love to hear feedback on how we can make the Microsoft Web Platform better.

Are you a Silverlight rockstar? Get a killer job.

bgold — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:31:00 GMT

A great agency in Seattle, ramp group is looking for a rockstar Silverilght developer -- see JD below. Good luck!

Silverlight 2 Developer

Ramp Group

Bellevue, WA

www.rampgroup.com

Key skills: .Net Framework, C#, Silverlight 2.0, XML

Are you interested in working on a project which will revolutionize the advertising industry, creating market efficiencies in terms of matching publisher page inventory to advertiser demand across multiple ad networks, standardizing advertising attributes, and lowering the barriers of entry to new classes of advertising businesses? If you are a developer with a creative spirit and often have ideas for enhancing the customer experience, this is a great opportunity for you.

Ramp Group is looking for .Net / Silverlight 2.0 developers to join our team of talented and motivated individuals in architecting cutting edge solutions for our clients’ dynamic and growing businesses. This is a unique opportunity to develop systems that have the intersection of machine learning, advanced economics / auction theory, and large scale systems engineering.

In this role you would be part of a Ramp development team helping our clients to build rich, multimedia-based applications across different OS platforms and browsers. We value and respect our associates and customers always striving to enable them to achieve the measurable results that support their success. Our employees thrive at working in a fast paced environment and enjoy interacting with clients and exceeding expectations.

Experience:

· Experience building high quality web applications.

· Experience working within a collaborative team environment.

· Experience building Silverlight 2.0 clients

· Experience working with WPF a big plus

· Experience with web services ASMX/WCF a big plus

Required Skills:

· Solid C# and .NET skills

· Silverlight 2.0 skills

· Solid web development

· XML and XPath

· Advanced problem solving, coding, and debugging skills.

· SQL

· WPF skills a big plus

· WCF skills a big plus

· LINQ skills a big plus

Ramp Group is a small consulting company with just under 100 employees located in Bellevue, WA. We specialize in project based full development life cycle services ranging from user requirements analysis, user interface design and product usability evaluation to technical design, development, test, and deployment. Our employees are highly skilled in developing solutions from large-scale enterprise-class database and Web-based applications to client-side consumer software.

To learn more about this position please contact us at: careers@rampgroup.com

Please include “Silverlight Developer” in the subject line to help facilitate your application and questions.

Please visit our website at:

www.rampgroup.com

Get the early skinny on Silverlight 2

bgold — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:34:00 GMT

ScottGu has been burning the midnight oil (literally!) to pull together an incredibly detailed tutorial that shows how powerful Silverlight 2 is going to be. Get an early scoop on the features in the soon to be released Beta1, get a feel for how Visual Studio and Expression Studio work together to enable developer/designer collaboration that is second to none, and see just a subset of the power that Silverlight 2 is going to bring to building amazing RIA applications.

Get the summary here and links to over 20 pages of details.

Hard to believe all of that power is packed into 4.3mb install that just takes 4-10 seconds on a typical machine without Silverlight.

Let us know what you think -- and remember this is just the beginning, there are a lot more features and details coming soon!

Halo3 in HD with Silverlight

bgold — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 22:20:27 GMT

http://halo3.msn.com/videosHD.aspx

I've been buried in Silverlight fun... but check this out.

Help Vinay... It's easy

bgold — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 05:09:31 GMT

I'm not one to spread causes, but I comment on this one because for two reasons. (if you don't want to wait go to) http://www.helpvinay.org/dp/index.php

1) He is a friend of a very good friend of mine, good enough for me

2) This is a fascinating example of how the Web and the powerful network effects we are seeing through social networks and other new applications can

As a technologist, seeing how creative energy, individual passion, and the advancement of online communication can change the way we interact is exciting. I'm lucky to be at the forefront of the enabling technologies, but seldom am I involved in the amazing outcomes that these technologies enable. It's good to know that things like Facebook, Spaces, online media and more can be put to effective use.

I encourage you to spread the word, read more about Vinay and others story, and if applicable get registered.

http://www.helpvinay.org/dp/index.php

Silverlight is here!

bgold — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 11:21:04 GMT

Ok, so I've been quiet, but I can explain it -- I've been working really really hard on Silverlight and today is our big day! Writing live from NAB, but this is big big big -- read about the details on the links below, and stay tuned, this is only part of the fun, keep your eyes on MIX.

Sean Alexander

Soma

And many others will post, but here is the info for now -- stay tuned!

MSDN Silverlight info

Silverlight community (coming soon)

Me getting completely destroyed by the "Proop Dog"

bgold — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 22:08:00 GMT

At VSConnections in Vegas Eileen Rumwell had comedian Greg Proops interview some of us. It was off the cuff and fun. The conversation was about 10 minutes, but this 1 minute short is me getting completely railed. Amusing to say the least.

Oh and if that isn't enough -- i found this post by Eileen too -- transcribed below so you can laugh at us.

Do the Support People in India Know About the Helamonsters?

What's a helamonster? Sand, steam, water powered pcs, and how to motivate the damn things. Is that a reinstall or just a reboot? And Brian is in marketing ...

http://soapbox.msn.com/video.aspx?vid=7fe1d278-9301-42ca-8791-af6e0140bf27

Who was Maria Tall Chief Anyway? http://soapbox.msn.com/video.aspx?vid=a6c068de-a957-40cc-b02f-f1ed839e3aed

A new job for me, better products for you

bgold — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 19:40:58 GMT

And hopefully some more time to blog :) This week we re-organized our team so that we could better serve the needs of our internal and external partners and customers. I won't bore you with the details but it has a pretty major impact on what I do and the kinds of information I want; so I figured this was a great opportunity to share.

My new job is focused on Developer Division (which includes designers) Platform Strategy. My new team is 100% focused on making sure we build the best possible products for the market place. We get to understand the trends, the big picture, the little picture, customer needs, partner needs, and partner deeply with the engineering teams run by Scott Guthrie (NDP) and Eric Zocher (Designer) to help ensure that the products we build work great together and address the key needs of the market today, tomorrow, and way into the future.

Sounds like a huge daunting challenge, but gurantee it is going to be a lot of fun. To date, I've spent some of my time on this, but we've decided it is so critical that me and my team get to spend 100% of our time focused here. The results, well you'll be able to tell me as we lead up to MIX, PDC, and the next rev's of our products.

My team looks after the following technologies -- so take a look and lay it on, good, bad, ugly. What you want, what you don't want, what you don't even think you want, anything that you think will help us.

Tools

Expression Studio (Blend, Media, Web, Design) + futures
Visual Web Developer (the Web tooling inside Visual Studio)
"Cider" (the WPF tooling for VS) + futures

Platforms

ASP.NET
WPF
"WPF/E"
AJAX
Internet Explorer
Commerce Server

Plus the broader marketplace that encompasses these technologies (Web 2.0, UX, etc.)

I'll still be posting as much useful info as I can around the outbound work that we do, but my energy is going to be focused on building amazing products. Spread the word, we want your feedback.

Oh and joining me on the team are:

Brad Becker looking after Rich Client Platform and Tools

Sanjoy Sarkar looking after Web Platform

Pete LePage looking after IE, Web Tooling, Standards

Max Akbar looking after Commerce Server

and we are hiring a few positions

1) Expression Media and Media Workflow strategy

2) Rich Client Platform - Developer strategy

3) Rich Client Platform - Designer strategy

I'll associate JD's once we write them ;)

Scott Guthrie debuts in Red vs Blue

bgold — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 11:03:48 GMT

Words can't describe just how cool this is :) And a pretty hot looking "WFP/E" video player to boot -- tell your friends, spread the word! Definitely a great "non-traditional" type of activity.

http://channel9.msdn.com/playground/wpfe/rvbplayer/

Scott's own post about this

Microsoft employees meet their famous counterparts

bgold — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 21:21:37 GMT

Danielfe decided to put together a great post about how some of us look like famous people (not that we aren't famous in our own right :)) -- the similarities are shocking -- check it out, let us know what you think.

http://blogs.msdn.com/danielfe/archive/2007/02/26/microsoft-bloggers-the-movie.aspx

MSL Ships ASP.NET AJAX Clinic

bgold — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 01:13:07 GMT

After an amazing herculean effort by MSL they have released the official ASP.NET AJAX Training Clinic -- it is a great 2 hour primer on the technology.

Go get trained:

https://www.microsoftelearning.com/eLearning/courseDetail.aspx?courseId=73568

and let us know what you think

ASP.NET AJAX and SharePoint 2007

bgold — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:19:28 GMT

Lot's of questions about this topic and we just posted some content to help

See ScottGu's blog post

See post from the Sharepoint team

they have all the details.