Matt Powell : Other Interesting Stuff

New Refresh of the Internet Explorer Developer Center on MSDN

mattpo — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 21:37:00 GMT

The MSDN Internet Explorer Developer Center has finally come up to speed!

As part of the Web Platform and Tools Marketing Team, one of the pieces of information we are trying to make sure people know about is all the great new features of IE 7: better security, better CSS standards support, the RSS support, etc. You may be aware that there has been an MSDN Developer Center for IE for sometime, although I doubt it since it has received very little traffic in the past. It was created a long time ago and suffered from not taking advantage of improvements MSDN has made in its design and infrastructure over the years. Well those days are no longer. Besides a two week vacation, I spent most of August revamping the site so that there are now MSDN Forums for IE Development, there is an RSS feed for new content, the information architecture (the table of contents for those of you not used to creating large web sites) is in sync with the standard MSDN IA for developer centers, and the content should be a lot easier to find.

One of the things I had discovered is that there is a lot of great IE7 content in the MSDN library, but that because the IE content team was publishing their own content into the library that it wasn't being entered into the MSDN content database. This means that no headlines were being generated across MSDN and the content wasn't appearing in any of the RSS feeds. We aren't completely finished getting this setup (so some of this is being done by hand and there is still a technical issue where a bunch of the content takes you out of the dev center when you click on an article - and an interim redirect makes it hard to get back to where you were) but I'm optimistic that these issues will be resolved in the next days and weeks and the user experience will be what it should be. We have done some internal education on using the MSDN tools to get the content into the MSDN database, so hopefully the IE content will remain hidden no longer.

Another thing I discovered during this process is that the IE Team Blog rocks! They are constantly posting really good content...and you can find it under Dave Massy's picture on the homepage of the IE Developer Center. :-)

What is the main thing you should take away from the IE dev center? That IE 7 is just around the corner! Get the Release Candidate, make sure your web apps work using the Readiness Toolkit, Check out all the cool Add-ons that extend IE7 and see what tools are available for tracing, rolling out IE, etc. Where do you find all this info? On the IE Developer Center of course.

So check out the new and improved Internet Explorer Developer Center.

-Matt

Free Microsoft Virtual Server

mattpo — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 03:06:00 GMT

Web service developers are often using virtual servers to setup a virtual netwrk of services. Well now you can get Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 for free.

-Matt

Bald Eagle

mattpo — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 20:43:00 GMT

A Bald Eagle just flew by my window. This is one of the benefits of living in the state of Washington. I was probably twelve years old before I saw my first wild bald eagle. Where did I grow up? Mostly right here in the state of Washington. I guess the DDT problems of the past put a major damper on the eagle populations when I was young (I was born in 1963). Also Salmon runs are more plentiful these days and by in large rivers, lakes and the Puget Sound are much cleaner these days than they used to be. The result, lots of bald eagles. I'm constantly stunned at the number of them that live in this relatively urban area of the country...the most common place I see bald eagles? Just off I-520 in Redmond where they built their giant nest last year on top of a cell phone tower. I wonder how many accidents were caused last year by motorists watching the two maturing eagle babies in the bumper to bumper traffic that always haunts that portion of 520.

I'm glad my kids probably go more weeks than not seeing wild bald eagles. They are really beautiful.

-Matt

Sweet Fifteen

mattpo — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:12:00 GMT

On March 4, 1991 I arrived at New Employee Orientation here at Microsoft and thus started my first day as a Microsoft employee. That means that last Saturday marked my 15 year anniversary with the company which is a pretty rare thing around here. In addition they started a new program this year were major milestones (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years) are recognized with an interesting service award. Here's a photo of the one I received and is the first one I have seen:

Click to see a bigger image.

Sorry about the quality...I used my cameraphone and forgot to take the protective cover off (and today I left my phone at home). It probably speaks to our society that everyone who sees it immediately says, "Wow...you could kill someone with that!"

Quite often people recognize anniversaries around here w/ a pound of m&ms for each year they've been here. I don't need that many m&m's sitting that close to me. But here are a few notable moments from my msft career:

First Msft Job: Supporting Lan Manager 2.0c.

Closest Run-In w/ BillG: Bill used to come and talk to our support organization about once a year when I first started. I had an opportunity to shake his hand once, but there was a big crowd so I didn't bother.

Biggest Historical Moment: I was leant to MSDN to write the ISAPI listener for the initial SOAP Toolkit sample. It was Msft's first SOAP implementation.

Children when I started at Msft: 2

Children now: 7

Number of current employees I interviewed: I would guess somewhere around 50...it's quite interesting to see where you run into those familiar faces over the years.

Biggest Msft Big Wigs I have worked with: Brian Valentine used to come answer phones in support once in awhile when I first started. I worked pretty closely w/ David Treadwell when Winsock 2.0 was coming out. I vaguely remember Kevin Johnson when he worked in support.

Coolest Technical Ah ha moment: One of the PDCs leading up to the NT release when they introduced the idea of completion ports.

Most obscure technologies I have dealt with: There was a time when I was the guy who did all the developer support for DLC...an archaic network protocol that basically lets you fiddle w/ the ethernet (or token ring, or arcnet) packets directly. That was back before this new fangled TCP/IP stuff quite took off. Another technology I supported was MIFST which was our OFX server platform for awhile. OFX is a protocol that MS Money and Quicken used (and I think still do use) to talk to banks.

Number of PDCs I have attended: I've lost track: most of them

Buildings I have had offices in: 6

Managers: 14

Publications I have Written for: MSJ (Microsoft Systems Journal), MIND (I was in the inaugural issue), MSDN Magazine, MSDN Online. Running Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0 (MSPress book). I also wrote for the NT Developer's Journal and some other networking magazine before that.

Favorite API: WNetAddConnection2...you can use it to test security credentials, to test network connectivity, to establish a security context with a server and avoid multiple NTLM handshakes (ok...I used it before Kerberos was established), and even to check if you have network connectivity installed. Joe Flannigan and I have a running joke that when in doubt, you should always call WNetAddConnection2. It's even a tasty dessert topping.

Favorite LAN Manager functionality that still exists to this day: You can still do amazing things with the NET.EXE command line utility.

I've been writing this post off and on for about 3 days now so enough reminiscing. Back to work. :-)

-Matt

Content Strategist Wanted!

mattpo — Thu, 19 Jan 2006 21:12:00 GMT

I'm currently looking for a Content Strategist to work on my team here at MSDN. If you want to be the face of Microsoft to the developer community on the biggest developer web site in the world, let me know.

Although I currently have holes on the C#, .NET Framework, WinFX and SQL developer centers, I'm also wanting candidates who have a good, general knowledge of the Microsoft development tools and platforms.

You can find the official job description here. The position is located in Redmond, Washington.

If you feel you are qualified, please send me your resume and include "MSDN Content Strategist Position" at the beginning of the subject of your email.

-Matt

Launched!

mattpo — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 21:27:00 GMT

With the Visual Studio 2005, SQL Server 2005 and BizTalk Server 2006 launch, MSDN made a few changes too...

For starters, with a new product like Visual Studio 2005 we assume that most people are either going to want to download the shipping version or figure out just what is in the new version so the Visual Studio Developer Center has been revamped to be more focused on product information than technical articles. The language developer centers are still focused on technical content (although this week they have a lot of launch-focused headlines but those will be updated with a lot of articles and other technical content in the coming days).

Second, we wanted people to understand that we are in a whole new world starting today in regards to the development platform from Microsoft so we have changed the main Visual Studio-focused developer centers and the MSDN homepage to reflect this. First and foremost you will probably notice that we are using large "hero" graphics at the top of the pages. I'm pretty impressed with how they came out and I think they do a good job of opening your eyes to the fact that we aren't in Kansas anymore. If you are overwhelmed with Launch-focused graphics everywhere, that was the intention. Launch. Launch. Launch. We don't want anyone to have any doubt in their mind that there is a new version of our products now available. Also, we have changed our homepage layout so that the popular Developer Center listing that we had before has been moved to the left hand navigation -- a more traditional place for a navigation element.

We have made an effort to make the developer centers and the homepage cleaner and with less clutter. So some information you were used to seeing on the homepage has been moved into sub-pages. Also, the left hand navigation on the revamped developer centers has been standardized so that you can find the same information in the same places no matter which developer center you are using. We rolled this out with the re-launched VStudio focused developer centers today, but will be sending this same infrastructure on to our other developer centers in the future.

This was a long-time in the making here at MSDN and I think it is safe to say that this was the biggest undertaking we have ever tackled, particularly if you wrap it with all the internal tools and infrastructure changes that we are also doing to integrate with Visual Studio 2005.

-Matt

I'm Optimistic...What can I Say?

mattpo — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 02:09:00 GMT

The single biggest take-away I had from the PDC came from the first keynote. It was the reality that Microsoft will be releasing Windows Vista and Office 12 at the same time next year. This will certainly be good for Microsoft's bottom line. The graphic requirements will mean a lot of people will be upgrading their hardware, which will be good for that whole sub-industry. And finally a lot of upgrades will be sold of applications that will have vista versions available so it will be good for the ISV world.

Dare had a pretty similar take, albeit focused on more than just vista and office within Msft. Call me optimistic, but I think this bodes well for the entire industry.

-Matt

Fool Me Twice...

mattpo — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 07:13:00 GMT

One of my back teeth needed a crown so I went to the dentist about a month ago where they fitted me for the permanent crown, and put on a temporary one. As I'm laying there with my mouth open they use my chest, complete with bib, to place various utensils on. So I didn't think much of it when the the dental assistant placed something on my shirt near the end of my procedure.

Later that day my wife says, "I guess you were quite a patient at the dentist today."

"What??" I say confused.

"Look at your shirt."

I look down and there, just below my collar, out of eyesight, is a bright green sticker with a very excited bear on it, exclaiming, "WORLD'S GREATEST PATIENT!"

I have a good laugh at my own expense. I was on vacation that day to accomplish some things around the house so the exposure was pretty minimal - my wife and kids laugh at my expense all the time.

Fast forward to today. I'm rather preoccupied with the crown being put on and the fact that mid-PDC last week a different crown broke while in LA and I had to get it temporarily glued on by the first dentist I was able to track down. We've got a lot of work to do at MSDN between now and the launch of Visual Studio 2005 and the content team at MSDN is meeting shortly after this dentist appointment for their weekly meeting that I am running. The permanent cap goes on without a hitch and I head to work. Meeting goes fine.

We head to lunch afterwards and Tom says, "Now what exactly is that thing on your shirt?"

I look down and see a rather excited bear exclaiming, "WORLD'S GREATEST PATIENT!"

My next appointment is about 4 months away...I will not forget...I will not forget....I will not forget...

-Matt

Wanted: MSDN Content Strategists

mattpo — Wed, 01 Jun 2005 03:49:00 GMT

I currently have two open positions here at MSDN for Content Strategists that can potentially cover the following technologies: Longhorn, the .NET Framework, C#, Smart Clients and Web Services. You don't have to be an expert in all these areas, but you should be an expert in at least 2. Writing technical articles is a big part of this position as well as acquiring content, working with other groups within Microsoft and interfacing with the developer community.

Imagine your face HERE (instead of mine).

If you are interested, send me your resume. Please put "Content Strategy Position" as the subject to your email. The person who fills this position will be required to work out of Redmond, WA.

Here are the official job posting links: here and here.

For those of you who are curious about what I will be doing, I will be managing the Content Strategy team full time.

I look forward to hearing from you.

-Matt

Children and Humor

mattpo — Fri, 04 Mar 2005 01:41:00 GMT

It occured to me recently that one of the greater joys I have of my children growing is to see their sense of humor develop. It begins somewhere around 5 years old where they start to get a knack for the rhythm of a joke. Here's one I recently heard from my youngest daughter (age 5):

Why did the horsey cross the road?

Because it wanted to play in the field.

Okay, its not funny. But the delivery is there. And yes, after just the right amount of sleep deprevation, my wife and I have been known to laugh histerically at jokes like this - much to the delight of the joke teller.

So fast forward about 10 years in humor development...my oldest is now 15 (OMG, almost 16!). We are having a casual discussion with one of our church friends over cookies. My wife and I realize that we will both be out of town overnight in a couple weeks. In front of our friend and my oldest daughter we contemplate them staying overnight alone.

Me: <jokingly to daughter> Just make sure that if have to call 911 that you let them know that your parents are only gone for a few hours and that they would never leave you there all by yourself overnight.

Daughter: <holding hand as if it were a phone and putting it to her ear> Hello, 911? My little brother won't let his sister have a turn playing Nintendo. <covering mouth piece and speaking over shoulder> Nole, 911 says to go sit timeout!

Again sleep deprivation may have something to do with it, but my wife, myself, and my friend started laughing hysterically. My daughter is pretty darn funny - at least in her father's eyes.

Then there was the recent story my 2nd oldest daughter told me the other day.

At school today one of the boys in my class (name withheld for obvious reasons) was looking at his feet with a rather concerned look on his face.

Boy: I have really tiny feet.

Girl sitting nearby:<teasingly> You know what that means...

Boy:<puzzled> I wear really tiny socks?

Of course, there is a larger moral issue here - namely, how is it that my 14 year old daughter understands the innuendo in the first place. But I guess I have to go with the rather more optimistic side of the situation - namely that my daughter caused her dad to burst out laughing.

This has been happening more and more lately. :-)

-Matt

Um...you might want to grab a kleenex...

mattpo — Wed, 19 Jan 2005 18:24:00 GMT

I was out sick yesterday with something my daughters gave me. I woke up this morning feeling much better (fever symptoms all gone) but I still had a bit of a runny nose. But this morning I had a dentist appointment to fix some fillings that I managed to brush off. So as is the standard practice, the dentist shot me up with Novacain.

The work went painlessly, but I now have the unpleasant reality that I cannot feel anything around my mouth...including the bottom part of my nose. Normally this isn't much of a problem, but if you happen to have a runny nose...or almost worst, you think you might have a runny nose...it leaves you in a bit of a predicament. I am now completely paranoid that I'll be walking down the hall with snot dripping down my face unbeknownst to me.

Don't expect me to leave the relative privacy of my office for a couple of hours.

Did I just feel something on my upper lip?

-Matt

PDC 2005: Los Angeles - Sept. 11 - 16, 2005

mattpo — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 22:19:00 GMT

That's pretty much all we know about PDC '05 so far. But watch this space for more information.

-Matt

Lesson Learned: Don't Fiddle with your Tablet Pen

mattpo — Tue, 07 Dec 2004 18:31:00 GMT

During my weekly meeting with my boss (the best time to do stupid things, don't you think?) I had my tablet pc in hand and was taking a few notes w/ the pen. We got into a discussion of one sort or another when suddenly, SNAP! As I'm akin to do with normal pens, I was pushing my finger under the clip that holds the pen onto a nerd's pocket protector and snap it broke off. I didn't think too much of this since I don't actually wear pocket protectors, nor do I hang pens on things that require the clips. But as I walked back to my office and attempted to insert the tablet pen back in it's little tablet pen slot, I was educated that those clips are not just for holding a pen on a pocket protector. My pen now will not stay in the slot. Ugh!

The good news is that I ordered a spare pen when I ordered the computer. The bad news is that I believe it was about a $28 piece of equipment.

I now put on white gloves before I remove my last pen from its holder.

-Matt

Taking the Dentist Thing One Step Further

mattpo — Tue, 07 Dec 2004 00:05:00 GMT

Chris' post on trauma at the dentist reminded me of my mother's recent experience - not with the dentist actually, but with the evil little tools of torture they use (this post is not for the squeamish).

My mom is undergoing chemotherapy (nasty pills that burn your fingers if you hold them too long - and she actually has to swallow these things!). One side effect has been that her tear ducts are constantly giving off this goop. If you have ever had a child with pink eye, it is kind of like that but crustier. In any case, the pressure got so bad one time that she couldn't stand it anymore and walked into the local specialist. He or she looked at her for a minute and pulled out the little metal tool that is basically a silver pen with a wire about an inch long at the end that is bent in a manner for optimum poking. This is the tool that the dentist usually uses to find the most sensitive part of your mouth, then jams it in it to see if it hurts.

So the doctor pulls my mother's eyelid back, brings in said instrument of torture and proceeds to stab it into her tear duct. Now my mother is not normally one to lie about such things, but she claimed that this procedure actually hurt. I tend to believer her.

The amazing thing is that the doctor then de-stabbed the device and suddenly there was a slurping sound not unlike a toilet flushing as copious amounts of liquid then ran down into my mother's throat. And guess what! The pressure was gone! She felt much better! Apparently the proverbial finger was lifted off the end of the proverbial straw and viola! The proverbial root beer flowed out magically.

Fun with dental tools...

-Matt

Did you know there is a new TechNet Magazine?

mattpo — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 21:13:00 GMT

From the people who gave you (and continue giving you) MSDN Magazine, a new kid on the block has arrived. Yes, it is TechNet magazine for all you IT Pros out there (and I know a lot of you are also developers).

The first issue is now available online.

-Matt