text: Hi Guys, I just found a good resource for development questions & answers.
  Here is a post about the site and how it works:
  and here is the site:
  Sounds like a great idea, and Joel is known for taking great ideas and making them into great things
  Get?
  CT MSDN Event announced.
  Thursday, August 31, 2006 1:00 PM -5:00 PM Welcome Time: 12:30 PM
  Session #1: Exploring the System.Net Namespace in the .NET Framework 2.0
  Developers are increasingly being asked to create applications that interact with common network services. So, it’s a good thing the .NET Framework 2.0 enables you to write connected applications with less hassle and fewer lines of code. This session will delve into the System.Net namespace, including:
  • How to create applications that detect network availability and connections
  • Sending SMTP mail and transferring data via HTTP and FTP
  • How to use the HTTP Listener class to write a simple Web server
  Session #2: Windows Communication Foundation Exposed
  Windows Communication Foundation (formerly code-named “Indigo”) is a set of .NET technologies for building and running distributed systems. WCF is a new breed of communications API that unifies previously disparate communications mediums and offers one single API for coding. In this session, we’ll explore:
  • How WCF extends the .NET Base Class Library and builds distributed connected systems
  • Where WCF fits into the larger WinFX world and how to use WCF to build distributed applications
  • Enabling services that communicate across multiple boundaries and transports
  • How to optimize for platform or performance
  Session #3: Building the Next Generation of Web Applications with ASP.NET “Atlas”
  Tired of postbacks taking precious seconds away from your Web app’s performance? Do users complain about slow-loading pages? Are you wondering what the AJAX buzz is all about? Learn how you can take advantage of ASP.NET 2.0’s new AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) framework – code-named “Atlas”– to build next-generation Web applications. This session will cover:
  • The Atlas architecture, including scenarios associated with the AJAX programming model
  • How to apply Atlas to enhance new or existing ASP.NET applications
  • Applications that incorporate AJAX, Web services, and rich DHTML-based user experiences
  If you are not in the CT area, check for the session nearest to you!
  Head.
  Wow,.
  Ok
  Ok, I now know I am not the only one still writing VB6 code. I think the number I keep hearing is something link 50%? Well I am one of that whatever percentage. We have some apps that will never need enough maintenance / upgrades / enhancements to warrant a migration, but we work on a lot. The VB2005 upgrade wizard took *all* weekend when we analyzed the app to see what we needed to do to move it, just for laughs. I do a talk called VB2005 for VB6 Developers, and it usually draws a pretty good audience. Today I was checking out Roy Osherove’s blog and I came across this. I quickly downloaded and installed the demo and I have to say I quiet like it! I haven’t even checked out all the features but it looks like this app is a keeper!
  It kinda makes VB6 look and act like all the parts of VB2005 that I use every night. Trust me, if you are still doing work inVB6 land, this *is* the tool for you. The web page has a ton of information on it, but really, you have to see it to believe it, so download the trial today, I just have to warn you, you’ll be either begging your boss by noon for this or trying to calculate how many lattes you would have to skip to be able to buy this yourself .
  Try it today and let me know what you think, and, *NO* I do not work for any of the companied involved here, I just love great tools.
  I think I am still stuck in my analog world for task management. I love my moleskine and 3x5 cards from Levenger I needed to find a way to get my personal, fulltime job, side jobs, household and speaking tasks in order. I couldn’t find one I really loved, GTD was probably the closest, but I wasn’t in love with it. Enter Bill Westerman and his wonderfully simple Getting SH-t Done (GSD) Check out the article and his photo stream for all the details, I love it.
  It’d also integrate easily into a text based digital system. Use [ ] [.] and [x] or [/] and keep the list(s) in something like gmail or backpack to have it always accessible. Thanks Bill for a great system!
  Hey I just found out, if you add the bot teched06@hotmail.com to your MSN messenger you can get all kinds of TechEd info, pretty cool. Can you find the hidden game? I’ll be up at TechEd on Thursday and Friday.
  Ok, despite what the timestamp might say, it’s midnight here in CT. A late end to a long day. It started around 530 AM when I got in my car and headed to Iselin New Jersey. Many hours and many miles later, I do declare the day to be another success for Don, Scott and Peter, as well as all who attended and presented. I did 2 talks VB2005 for VB6ers and Meet Visual Web Developer Express. Although the ‘intro’ sessions weren’t as popular as they were at the last Boston Code Camp, those who *did* attend my sessions seemed to have learned a few things and enjoyed themselves. I caught a great presentation by Chip Lemmon called ‘Down With Datasets’. I recommend catching this talk if you happen to see it at a user group or code camp in your area. Got to see some old buds like Don, Kevin, and Robert Holmes, and meet some new and interesting people like Chip and Mr Community Server, Scott Wateramsysk. Another great Code Camp put on by the NJ guys. We ended up at Bertucci’s after and managed to get the wait staff to sing Happy Birthday (complete with a candle and cake) to Don, as thanks for pulling the thing together. After another 3 hours of driving through night and rain, I am home and looking forward to the next NJ Code Camp. Keep an eye on NJCodeCamp.Org for more information on the next round! Next time I’ll leave the ‘intro’ stuff at home and bore you with some crypto! Sam Gentile was definitely missed, dunno much about the situation, but I wish you good health and a speedy recovery Sam. Miguel, where the hell were you? I’ll get my code and slide decks up on the site for all who are interested.
  <posted from Word 2007>
  Last night, while browsing lifehacker.com, I found a link to a great site,. They have virtual flash card decks for anything you could ever want from science, to high school subjects to music to computers. I checked out the cards tagged 'Microsoft' and found some great ones for Microsoft Certified Developer exams. There are many others, linux, cicso, jave, etc, but the MS ones seemed pretty good to me. They also allow you to create your own card decks, view existing ones online, and even print and download them! If you are trying to study for, or learn anything, check the site out!
  Ok, here’s the scene, I’m sitting in the audience at the CTDOTNET user group meeting, stuffing my face with pizza and picking my nose when I hear SB (user group leader guy) say something that resembles my name. <munch><munch><pick><scratch><munch> There it is again, sounded like my name, something about Web Parts and ASP.NET and now everyone is looking at me, hmm… Wait a minute, is tonight the night I am scheduled to present? Heyyy, I think it is. Everyone’s looking at me, uh, maybe…
  Ok it wasn’t exactly like that, but I did take the plunge last night and I delivered my first public .NET presentation. I did intro to Web Parts, and I think it went ok. The evals were good, and I felt it went ok, for a first time ever speaking type thing. I wasn’t exactly caught off guard like the first paragraph might misrepresents. Actually, I probably over-over-over worried / prepared / re-worked the talk.
  Picture eminem in 8 mile, I was in the men’s room at the local Microsoft office, minutes before the talk, in a stall, with a VB for Applications hooded sweatshirt (hood up), getting sick in the stall, sweaty-ily (not a real word but it fits) clutching a Bluetooth keyboard and some PowerPoint printouts close to my chest, my MP3 player jamming out some Dot Net Rocks montage (a nice mix of the Dunn Years, the Rory Era and the Campbell Saga I might add) and me bopping my head to the Toy Boy theme getting pumped up!
  Thanks to all the audience, you were gentle and kind and understanding, I had a good time, hope you had a good time, and hope someone (besides me!) learned something. I may even do something like that again. I plan on doing the same talk (only way more gooder) at Code Camp 5, as well as a VB2005 for VB6 developers session. I will get the slides cleaned up tonight and have them to SB tomorrow night. For that one person who was at the group and actually reads this, I will drop a note here as well pointing to the demo and slides. Thanks to everyone who sat through it tonight and thanks to SB for giving me the opportunity to talk!
  Oh and next time, I’m bringing my bass and jamming a few tunes during the talk a-la Mr Franklin : )
  Oh, Oh, if you run a user group around New England and want to watch a sweaty fat guy stumble uncomfortably (for him and the audience) through a Web Parts presentation, feel free to contact me!
  Announcing the ASP.NET 2.0 Webcast Series! From the site:
  Welcome.
  Get your complimentary ASP.NET 2.0 Development Pack.
  Announcing the CTDOTNET Study Group:* I am please to announce the beginnings of somethingnew and great for developers in CT, the CTDOTNET Study Group. CTDOTNET will be offering another great service to its membersstarting in Spring of 2006. Are you working on getting your MCSD, MCAD certifications? Just want to take a couple exams? Why not get together with fellow CTDOTNET members and work together onstudying and preparing for the exams? This study group is *brand new*, so we're looking for good ideas and participants. If youare interested in being a part of the study group, please contact Dan Krhla at 'ctdotnetstudy@gmail.com'.
  We will be working out the hows, whens and wheres of the groupover the next month, so if you have ideas, suggestions or aninterest in joining, please email Dan soon! Also, if you havealready taken the exams and would be interested in sharing yourtips and advice with others interested in taking them, please let Dan know and we will arrange to have you sit with the group. Also any exam prep resources you no longer need would be a great helpto the group, so bring or send in your books, pdfs, videos oranything else.
  We will be mainly focusing on developer and SQL exams for now, but if you have other exam interests, please contact Dan today.