The Hobbyist Renaissance at Microsoft

re: The Hobbyist Renaissance at Microsoft

Gabriel Lozano-Morán — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 00:22:23 GMT

What is a difference between a SAP-er and a .NET-er?

The SAP-er:
1. works from 9 to 5
2. gets overpaid
3. gets all the training he needs from during the week from 9-to-5.

The .NET-er:
1. works from 9 to 5
2. gets average paid
3. because they can install all the software ("Express") they need for free and it runs on a cheap desktop computer his/her boss assumes that they study new technologies in their own spare time and if they don't want to do that we just fire them and replace them by some bunch of hobbyists and get the "experienced developers" from overpaid consultants.

Ever tried to install a mainframe at home to play around with RPG and learn the new stuff?

re: The Hobbyist Renaissance at Microsoft

Borek — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 02:10:13 GMT

Good reading. I'm really looking forward what will NPT team bring to us.

From my perspective, software factories (SCSF, WSSF etc.) are making development much much more easier so I would like to see them supported in Express editions as well. Or maybe the NPT team could rename "software factories" completely because no hobbyst will want to work with something with "factory" in its name :)

Borek

re: The Hobbyist Renaissance at Microsoft

Jared Evans — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 02:15:51 GMT

Hey Dan

You probably remember me as the guy responsible for the MSDN code wiki (hehehe, credit where credit is due in a vague way).

It was wonderful to see that Microsoft released the MSDN library for free to everyone. This was another major step forward, not only do you provide the tools you provide the nearly perfect form of documentation to go with it.

I'd really love to come join you, however i haven't got my BSc yet, nor have i got the 5 years in commercial programming so i'll come knocking on your door one day, just not today. But this new NPT team needs evangelists too. As i'm still in uni in the UK, i feel a bit neglected by Microsoft, we don't have a rep and from what i understand the UK budget isn't that great to visit every uni. Now thats probably still quite true of the American budget but it sometimes feels the Academic Alliance in the USA is greater than in the UK.

I'm loving how you're caring about the hobbyists and more can be done to increase this. have a roadshow, take a 100 books with you on winforms and give them out for free. take 100 books on SQL give them out for free, take a 100 on... so and so. it's a big risk giving out $3000 worth of books but in the end it's worth it. It shou;dn't take a 4 year degree to program and it shouldn't be expensive to learn either. yes there has to be give and take. Microsoft has been giving alot but thats what makes you different from Sun and the Others.

re: The Hobbyist Renaissance at Microsoft

AQ — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 05:38:34 GMT

Hey, just wanted to thank you for keeping the Express products free. Eliminating the barrier to entry was absolutely the right decision and the response from young developers-to-be is very enthusiastic.

Looking to the future, how are some of the features we see in the 'Orcas' previews going to be integrated into the Express line. Particularly the Expression Design family. Will there be hobbyist lines for those products as well? Teaching visual development with XAML seems a like a logical progression to me..what do you think?

re: The Hobbyist Renaissance at Microsoft

Dennis E. Hamilton — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 08:01:02 GMT

Wow. Thanks Dan. I'd like to think there's an enthusiast somewhere inside every developer and many-an old-timer.

I share your enthusiasm bringing the excitement of development and making computers useful to new generations of enthusiasts and potential professionals.

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The Hobbyist Renaissance at Microsoft

re: The Hobbyist Renaissance at Microsoft

re: The Hobbyist Renaissance at Microsoft

re: The Hobbyist Renaissance at Microsoft

re: The Hobbyist Renaissance at Microsoft

re: The Hobbyist Renaissance at Microsoft

Feedback for Coding4Fun

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X-box 360 and the "You tube of games"