Welcome to my new Biztalk and .NET blog. I have moved residence to WordPress from my old DotNetJunkies siteas I was getting fed up with the inability to use IE7 and the poor functionality of the rich text box control there when using FireFox. Hopefully WordPress wont have these issues and i have heard lots […]
I had the privilege of being invited last week to a Connected Systems Software Design Review (SDR) hosted in Microsoft Campus. I have participated on different SDRs in the past two years and I am really happy to say that this one was really different…(read more)
With ASP.NET AJAX Extensions being baked into the .NET Framework 3.5 and the improvements to WCF to support JSON, it seems tempting to write WCF services and host the in Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 Unfortunately, if you create a WCF service and drop…(read more)
With ASP.NET AJAX Extensions being baked into the .NET Framework 3.5 and the improvements to WCF to support JSON, it seems tempting to write WCF services and host the in Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 Unfortunately, if you create a WCF service and drop…(read more)
I’ve been trying to get my head around Twitter for a while now. I can understand the social networking aspect, that of wanting the daily routine connection with those in your network. But what I don’t understand is why one needs a completely separate app for that feature when Facebook seems to implement the exact same functionality through statuses. The fact that you can update your Facebook status from your mobile cinches the noose for Twitter in my opinion. Facebook has so much additional integration, it’s a no-brainer for me.
The only Twitter-feature I wish Facebook offered is the direct integration with Google Talk.
I was provided a schema withan attribute named “Type” provided byan ERP vendor. I needed to promote it for use in Send Port Filters and in a Correlation Set. I promoted the attribute and allowed BizTalk to create the promoted property “__Type” shown here:
“Type” is a reserved name. The Send Port Filter allows me to use this “__Type” Promoted Property.
But , . . . when I try to use this Promoted Property in a Correlation Set it gives me the following error.
Why does BizTalk default to the “__” prefix for reserved names, when it will not allow these prefixed names in Correlation Sets?
My wife and I did the annual Ogden Valley triathlon over the weekend…
This was the pic just before the race. I was a swimmer growing up so that was the easiest part for me personally. I was in about 6th or 7th place (in my age group) coming out of the water, and from that point on it was pretty depressing. I basically watched people pass me for the rest of the race. Plenty of moms and grandfolk-aged athletes. Pretty humbling.
I guess I should have listened to my wife and actually trained for it. 😉
That’s right. I couldn’t resist any longer, especially after the price drop.
Simply amazing.
I just returned home after spending several days in meetings with various folks from the Microsoft Connected Systems Division (CSD). The event I attended is what Microsoft typically refers to as a Software Design Review (SDR). I’ve had the privilege of participating in numerous SDR’s over the years, which has been fascinating in many ways. So I thought I’d take a second to describe what a Microsoft SDR is like and why they are a good thing for you and me.
The basic idea goes something like this: Microsoft invites a bunch of customers/partners to listen to them talk about what they’re thinking and planning for the next several years (timeframes always vary), which inevitably generates a great deal of discussion, emotion, and heated debate amongst all those involved.
The value prop for customers/partners is primarily early access to information, which can offer a significant competitive edge in some cases, not to mention the possibility of us actually being able to *influence* the direction of the product or technology in some small way that better server our personal objectives.
The reason it always ends with heated debate is primarily because of who they invite. You know the type, folks (like me) who think they know everything and are always right. The type of person that shares opinions as statements of fact and is sure that if Microsoft doesn’t listen, the company is doomed. Although it’s often frustrating for the attendees to cope with 20-30 other guys who share that same gene, it isn’t a bad thing for Microsoft, because remember their value prop is to get as much instant feedback as possible. What better way than to get a bunch of strongly-opinioned zealots who love to hear themselves talk? It’s clearly more effective than inviting polite folks who happily listen and accept what they’re told.
Throughout the various discussions and debates, new issues are commonly identified, ones that perhaps MS hadn’t fully considered, along with new ideas for the design that may better address our needs and goals. That’s why it’s called a design “review”, which implies there’s still a chance to influence the final outcome. I’ve seen this happen numerous times, where a comment made by a customer actually changed the way the product turned out.
I know it sounds crazy but it’s true.
Microsoft is different today than it once was. They do listen to their customers, earlier in the process than most folks realize. The focus on community is strong than ever before, and the company is becoming more transparent each time I interact in these sessions.
This doesn’t mean Microsoft couldn’t be even more transparent with their customers/parnters. There’s obviously a natural tendency to keep our cards close to our chest until we’re confident and secure, but that prevents the most valuable conversations from taking place. Timelines are taboo — the stuff no one wants to discuss.
Ultimately an SDR is a mutually beneficial event where MS and its customers/partners try to leverage one another with their own self-interest in mind, but both sides get something out of it, even if it’s not completely realized for years down the road.
If you ever have the chance to participate in one of these events, seize the opportunity…you won’t be dissappointed.