GAMTUG: Blog

Supporters - Players

Tue, 06 May 2008 19:55:59 GMT

MAY 3rd 2008

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the following Supporters

Gold	GMIT , MICROSOFT
Silver	STORM TECHNOLOGY , TELERIK
Bronze	MICROMAIL , NEW HORIZON TRAINING , CISCO , ENTERPRISE IRELAND INNER WORKINGS , INETA , CHARTERIS

for providing the funds to enable us to bring these great Premier GEEK League players to DDD Ireland

Managers	Craig Murphy , Barry Dorrans
Players	Guy Smith-Ferrier , Alex Homer , Maurice de Beijer , Mike Azocar , Michael Foord , Dominic Baier , Christian Weyer , Barry Carr , Alan Dean , Dave McMahon , Claudio Perrone , Oliver Sturm , Phil Winstanley , Gary Short , Ben Hall , Dave Sussman , Andy Wigley , Daniel Fisher , Michael Willers , Ben Sykes , John Price

They provided their services for free - giving up their time to share their knowledge and experience

Go Raibh Míle Maith Agaibh!

Are you coming to Craggy Island ? Bank Holiday Wk/end 3rd/4th May 2008

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:55:10 GMT

Ah Go On Go On Go On -

Register for DDD Ireland

Click on the flyers if you would like a printable PDF copy

Click the video and listen as Barry tries to reason with Craig about moving DDD Ireland to Inis Oirr [Craggy Island]

So here's the deal

Sat 3rd May at GMIT you get to attend 4 - 1hr technical sessions of your choice [24 options] with world class speakers for free
at 3:40pm the world famous Swaggily Fortunes game show begins
Sat evening the Speakers will be adjourning to Galway's Spanish Quarter where you'll have an opportunity to engage with them and further you understanding of their particular subject.
Sun - May the 4th be with you - we're off to 'Craggy' for a Geek walk and talk plus Podcast with Island Ferries [avail of the DDD group discount]. Bus departs 9:30pm from Merchants Rd and returns to Galway by 7:00pm. On this trip you'll be able to ask the questions that you forgot to ask the previous day. Amazing how many questions you can ask on a 2 mile walk to the Fr Ted Shipwreck.

Become a fan of Developer Developer Developer Ireland - see all the teasers on Facebook

Are you Coming to DDD Ireland ?

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:05:22 GMT

Oh Boy - Have we got some great sessions ...

SPEAKING @ DDDIreland.com - Phil Winstanley - May 3rd Galway

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 19:13:46 GMT

Click the video and listen as Phil expands on his session outline

Phil’s been working with ASP.NET so long he’s forgotten how it all began ... having worked on some of the world’s largest ASP.NET applications for big blue chip companies and much smaller applications for start-ups and a whole range of businesses in-between he’s gleaned a wealth of knowledge about the best (and worst) ways to build ASP.NET applications.
As a Microsoft MVP for the past seven years and a member of the ASP Insiders, an advisory body which works closely with the Web Platforms team within Microsoft Phil’s been highly rewarded for his community work and support over the years.

Ah Go On Go On Go On -

Register for DDD Ireland

Useful Links - The Social Programmer

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 20:13:40 GMT

You may have noticed on the left hand side of this Blog - The Useful links List - let me draw your attention to The Social Programmer . If you choose to enter this blog select Podcasts under Categories and you'll find yourself immersed in a very useful resource - an excellent series of interviews with the movers and shakers of the Developer Community.

Check out this one in particular Oliver Sturm on the eXpress Application Framework

EVENTS @ GAMTUG OLIVER STURM on Functional Programming in C# 3.0

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:40:27 GMT

Click the video and listen as Oliver expands on his session outline

The Marriott Hotel , Galway - March 31st @ 7:30pm

Quoting Oliver from his blog entry Are you in Ireland next week ?

During all my sessions I’ll be giving away one complimentary Developer Express license! per session

If you'd like to join us at this event please email GAMTUG

SPEAKING @ IMTC 2008 - CRAIG MURPHY - April 3/4 Dublin

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:22:24 GMT

Click the video and listen as Craig expands on his session outline

Craig is an MVP for Connected Systems and boy has he taken that designation to heart by connecting the BI [Ireland,UK,Scotland and Wales] Communities together thru' his great dedication to evangelizing the DDD philosophy to these shores

Ah Go on Go on - Register

IMTC Booking Form

IMTC - IRISH MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGIES CONFERENCE 2008 - April 3rd/4th

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:44:57 GMT

DEVELOPER SESSION @ MTUG CORK - OLIVER STURM on WPF - April 1st

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:06:05 GMT

Click the video and listen as Oliver expands on his session outline

The Imperial Hotel , Cork - April 1st @ 7:00pm

After his inaugural debut in Galway he'll be visiting with MTUG Cork User Group - then up to Dublin April 3rd and 4th for the IMTC and once again returning to Galway on May 3rd for DDD Ireland and then onto DDD Scotland May 10th.

I stand in AWE of these great DDD SPEAKERS who give up their valuable time for free to come and impart their fantastic treasure trove of knowledge to us. AND THEY HAVE DAY JOBS AS WELL to MAINTAIN

Ah Go on Go on - Register IMTC / DDD Ireland / DDD Scotland

DEVELOPER SESSION @ GAMTUG - OLIVER STURM - Functional C# - March 31

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:19:44 GMT

Click the video and listen as Oliver expands on his session outline

The Marriott Hotel , Galway - March 31st @ 7:30pm

This will be the first appearance of this remarkably energetic and knowledgeable guy to these parts. He'll also be appearing in Thurles , Cork , IMTC , DDD Ireland and if that's not enough to sap the energy of a normal person out he's also appearing at DDD Scotland [and a host of other events]

This guy is AWESOME !!! Not to be missed - enhances the GROK - ability factor of his subject

Please email GAMTUG if you'd like to come

IMTC / DDD Ireland / DDD Scotland

Maximizing the Benefit from your VS2008 Launch kit

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:50:03 GMT

Now that the Main launch has taken place - the launch kits are in the 'Post' and should shortly be with those of you that attended any of the launches . [Never fear - the express versions are freely downloadable and they'll suffice to get you started]

But what can you do with them .... There's so much new stuff to GROK ... Where should you start ....

As Andrew Westgarth [check out his session on IIS 7 at IMTC 2008 ] so succinctly puts it in his VBUG Conference 2008 posting

So here are a few suggestions .....

IMHO - LINQ is the prime candidate to GROK - one interface to link to Objects, SQL and XML - check out Introduction to LINQ in Visual Basic - yeah , I know it's in VB but it's still the best Intro I've found ... and the C# and VB teams do actually work very closely together.
If you're in the Limerick area you could drop into The Clarion Hotel at 7:30 Wed 19th and catch Dave Nothey's Tour De Force on Windows Server 2008
Then on March 31 Oliver Sturm is coming to Galway to illustrate how sharp C# has got. Oliver will then continue his Irish Tour , on the 1st April , first to Thurles where he'll meet the students in the Tipperary Institute and then to Cork where he'll be the guest of the Cork Area MTUG
Oliver having stormed down the west coast will next surface in Dublin at the 3rd annual MTUG Conference - the IMTC where he'll be joined by fellow members of the DDD community - check out the Agenda. This promises to be a great event.
Of course , back in our own neck of the woods we have DDD Ireland on May 3rd and 4th. This is a conference with a difference - for starters it's in Galway - on a Bank Holiday Weekend -
- Day One - 6 great tracks - plenty of time to mingle and converse with fellow Geek's during the sessions and afterwards as we bring our Speakers to Quay Street - You haven't lived - if you haven't experienced a Holiday Weekend in Galway's Spanish Quarter.
- Day Two - as this is the 10th Anniversary of Dermot Morgan's untimely passing - we're going to Inis Oirr [Craggy Island] on a geek walk and talk to see at first hand the ship wreak that formed the backdrop to the opening scene in 'Father Ted' . This gives you a unique opportunity to have a One on One chat with the speakers. I don't know about you - but I always think of the questions I should have asked the next day - not to be missed.

Of course , those of you that couldn't make a Launch event , you're going to say - This is unfair - we don't have a launch kit. Therefore , [remembering those notes , from your mother , that you used to bring to your teachers at school ] we have ONE Launch Kit to give away for the best email excuse that we receive. Email GAMTUG - we promise to be just as skeptical as your teacher was all those years ago ....

SPEAKING @ DDDIreland.com - Maurice De Beijer - May 3rd Galway

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:43:14 GMT

Click the video and listen as Maurice expands on his session outline

Maurice de Beijer is an independent software consultant specializing in Workflow Foundation and .NET in general. He has been awarded the yearly Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award since 2005. Besides developing software Maurice also runs the Visual Basic section of the Software Developer Network, the largest Dutch .NET user group.

Maurice will also be speaking at the vbug Conference on April 24th - so you've no excuse - two chances to see him

Ah Go on Go on - Register

DDD Ireland / VBUG

SPEAKING @ DDDIreland.com - BEN HALL - May 3rd 2008 Galway

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:38:12 GMT

Click the video and listen as Ben expands on his session outline

Ben Hall is a UK C# developer/tester who enjoys all aspects of the development lifecycle and technology in general. During the day Ben works for Red Gate Software as a Test Engineer. At night, Ben is a MbUnit Core Commit Member, helping out on the project whenever possible.

Ben will also be speaking at DDD Scotland on May 10th - so you've no excuse - two chances to see him - you take the High road ... and I'll be in Scotland afore ye ...

Ah Go on Go on - Register

DDD Ireland / DDD Scotland

SPEAKING @ IMTC - Martin Woodward MVP - April 3/4 Dublin

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:51:36 GMT

Click the video and listen to this clip from Martin's Maiden session at Tech-Ed Developer - Barcelona 07.

Martin helped launch our first ever developer conference - the 'INDC' which has evolved into the very successful IMTC.

He has that uncanny ability to bring a subject to life to such an extent - you want to go and immediately try it out. Don't take my word for it - come along and see for yourself.

Register here

Martin ,Paul Hacker and Mickey Gousset have recently started a Team System related podcast called Radio TFS . Well worth adding to your RSS feeds

DEVELOPER SESSION @ GAMTUG - OLIVER STURM - March 31

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:16:59 GMT

Taken from GAMTUG: Wanted List - Speakers

C# 3.0 - The Highlights

C# 3.0 comes with a bunch of new language features and a tendency to favour advanced approaches like functional programming. In this session you will see a few of the most interesting new features illustrated by use cases that are just a little bit out of the ordinary - just like the language itself. Lots of practical demos, of course!

The Marriott Hotel , Galway - March 31st @ 7:30pm

Oliver Sturm is an experienced software architect, developer, trainer and author, with a strong background in various different fields including system and framework architecture and design, process modeling and user interface design. He is a C# MVP and he works for Developer Express as a Technical Evangelist and Lead Program Manager for the Frameworks Division.

Voted Best Speaker - Glasgow Grok Talks - Mar 11 , 2008

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:13:26 GMT

Click the video and listen as Gary explains the difference ...

You've got to come see this GUY in action @ DDD Ireland and he's only 1 of 24+ great international speakers that will be there.

Ah go on - Register here

Speaking@DDDIreland.com - Gary Short - May 3rd 2008 Galway

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:02:14 GMT

Click the video and listen as Gary expands on his session outline

I went to DDD6 and as luck would have it - I picked Gary's session as a likely one to attend. From the word go Gary had me captivated - so much so - I felt we had to get him over to the west coast. Not only is he coming to our neck of the woods but he's also coming to IMTC on the 3rd April. This is definitely a session not to be missed.

Ah go on - Register here

Speaking@DDDIreland.com - Dave McMahon - May 3rd 2008 Galway

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:12:44 GMT

Click the video and listen as Dave expands on his session outline

Dave was placed 6th top speaker [out of 200+] at Tech-Ed 2007 in Barcelona - and he and 25 other top speakers are coming to our little conference on the May Bank Holiday weekend. Have a look at the Conference Details and I think you'll agree that this would be well worthwhile giving up a Saturday for. You could say [and I will] - it's a mini Tech-Ed and you get to attend for FREE - best of all you don't have to travel to Dublin either.

So come on - Register here

Developer Developer Developer is coming to the WEST of IRELAND

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:42:10 GMT

Where : GMIT Galway

When : 3rd May 2008

Time : 9:00am - 4:30pm

Details: DDD Ireland

Agenda: Session Details

Speakers:Biography

Click the video and listen as Craig Murphy explains the DDD concept

GALWAY

Community Launch of Visual Studio 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:47:53 GMT

Summary

Microsoft will be launching Visual Studio 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 this spring. But before they do – here is your chance to get an early tour of all the best features of the three new products. Some of the highlights will include:

LINQ and all the new productivity features in Visual Studio 2008

Windows Server 2008 Virtualisation, Server Core, NAP and IIS 7.0

New SQL Server 2008 features to help build and manage BI Solutions and new SQL Server data types

The event will include content for both IT Professionals and Developers and will run from 2pm to 8:30pm. The decision to run into the evening is to facilitate people who may not be able to take a full day off work! The Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server Business Intelligence content will be covered from 2-5pm and the evening sessions will be more focused on developer content.

Please email GAMTUG for an invite to this event

The Developer and the Designer should be friends ...

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:15:15 GMT

Just like the Farmers and the Cowboys , in Oklahoma , late 1870's - we developers need to try and come to some understanding of what makes this rare breed - ' the Turtle necked' Designer tick. Lucky enough Microsoft has helped us somewhat by organizing these MIX and ReMIX events - and the best news is all the sessions were recorded and are available on line.

REMIX the experience INNOVATE the web

designers and developers UNITE

click on any of these links - sample the sessions - you'll be well on your way

SomeOne @ Microsoft : Noah Coad

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:23:40 GMT

Taken from The 20 second commute: Thursday 7th

Meet Noah Coad Program Manager on the Visual Studio Platform specifically on Testing. If you've downloaded VS2008 beta 2 and opened up a new project you'll immediately notice a new option called 'TEST' on the menu bar. Noah helped push this addition - why should testing be confined to Team Suite versions when every Developer needs access to it.

He presented a fantastic session at Tech-ED US 2007 on testing that's made me seriously question my coding strategy. Check it out !
Writing Maintainable and Robust Applications with Microsoft Visual Studio Team System

We have to get this guy over to this side of the pond !!
[Another biased opinion]

Community @ Work : Andy Wigley's Irish Tour

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:58:48 GMT

Taken from GAMTUG: Andy's Visit

Believe it or not , that's Andy at the bottom of this superb lecture Theatre at GMIT presenting a session on Mobile Development to some 70+ students of the GMIT Computing Department on Day 4 of his Irish Tour. He had already been to Dublin and Cork and later on he presented to GAMTUG and the next day departed to Belfast to present to NIMTUG.

Visiting lecturer's like Andy are the salt of the earth. To come on this Irish tour they take a whole week out of their busy schedule (without pay) to share their knowledge and expertise with us.

If anyone is still harboring any doubts about the need to Grok Mobile development look no further than "Cell phones revolutionize Korean lifestyles"

Imagine That - do you know any students?

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:05:58 GMT

Its here again, and I know that you know some, they are out there, lurking in the darkest parts of your kitchen and in front of the TV and home PC. Yep, students!

If you know of any students, then make sure that they know about The Imagine Cup. This is a worldwide competition for computing students. It is a chance to take their place on the world stage of software design and development. There are 9 categories in which to compete;

The theme this year is "imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment." Students’ work will reflect valuable, real world solutions, while giving them the opportunity to compete for cash prizes. When coupled with the power of technology the potential of young people is unlimited and the ideas they develop for the Imagine Cup could significantly improve the lives of millions of people around the world. In this competition, everyone wins. Each of us has a unique skill to contribute.

This is not limited to third level students. The eligibility criteria are listed here. If you have any more questions, check the website or email me. It's not always a solo effort, there are team based competitions and mentors available. Tell a friend, tell a student, have some fun. Get involved.

The competition is a great experience for all involved. It can become a life changing and defining event. You have the chance to meet many new people, to expand your world view and to develop connections around the world that will enrich your life experiences. Broaden your horizons, imagine the possibilities!!!

SomeOne @ Microsoft : Remy Pairault

Sun, 14 Oct 2007 14:00:22 GMT

Taken from The 20 second commute: Strolling around

I want to give a shout out to the Windows Live Team
the creators of this Spaces blog. They've just added the coolest new feature [events] to their toolkit as noted in their blog The Space Craft

Meet Remy Pairault Senior Program Manager on the Windows Live Developer Platform [on right].

Remy and his colleague demonstrated the salient features of Windows Spaces to me at this year's Tech-ED in Orlando. Somehow, we strayed onto the topic of Maps and Mash-ups and Remy demonstrated his favorite Mash-Up which was built at the MVP summit this year by our very own Martin Woodward

It really is a very small global village we live in !!

GROK this 'Empower your Geek's'

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 22:10:05 GMT

Taken from GAMTUG: HALL of FAME

Meet Clare Dillon from Microsoft's Ireland Developer and Platform Group. What can I say that hasn't been said already by countless developers who've been privileged to meet her .

This lady is a SUPER STAR .

And when she gives advice you'd better listen and be sure to GROK it [I did and my Company really benefited]

so anyway have a listen to Clare's GROKIT on the Empower Program for ISV's

This is a No-Brainer !!

Community @ Work

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 20:55:32 GMT

Taken from GAMTUG: HALL of FAME

It's not every day that you get to meet a truly great community leader but I did last Friday. Meet Brendan Smith a tireless leader on the DERI outreach program.

I had been hearing about the great work Brendan was doing with the schools and in particular his efforts to make the Asylum seekers feel welcome in Galway [setting up an Internet facility to make their communication with home less stressful]. It was a real pleasure to meet him in person.

Check out his Blog [Speedie's] in the blog list to the left

GROKITS from MTUG - what's the story ?

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:12:51 GMT

To GROK something is 'To understand. Connotes intimate and exhaustive knowledge. When you claim to ‘grok’ some knowledge or technique, you are asserting that you have not merely learned it in a detached instrumental way but that it has become part of you, part of your identity. For example, to say that you “know” LISP is simply to assert that you can code in it if necessary — but to say you “grok” LISP is to claim that you have deeply entered the world-view and spirit of the language, with the implication that it has transformed your view of programming. Contrast zen, which is similar supernal understanding experienced as a single brief flash.'

While widely appreciated by the Computing Geek fraternity Stateside - the 'verb' has not got much traction here on this side of the pond.

This is all about to change ..... MTUG are entering the "GROK -IT" production space - short camtasia screencasts showcasing solutions using the Microsoft product stack.

and here's the first Using the Expression Encoder [If you're a fan of the Jungle book - you could say how to encode 'the Bear necessities']

Andy Wigley is coming - Thursday 18th October

Sun, 07 Oct 2007 20:04:37 GMT

Taken from GAMTUG: Speakers

Andy Wigley is an expert on developing mobile applications using the Microsoft .NET Compact Framework and is the co-author of the new Microsoft Press book Mobile Development Handbook (published May 2007), and of Microsoft .NET Compact Framework Core Reference (Microsoft Press). He leads the software consulting company, Andy Wigley Computing ltd , specializing in mobile and small business applications.

Andy is a Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) for device application development.

Mobile Development to the tune of Orcas

Come and experience all the changes and enhancements Microsoft have made to the developer toolset to make you even more productive when developing for Windows Mobile and CE based devices. Unit Tests, security configuration and battery emulation are just some of the features now available in Visual Studio 2008. This session includes some fun demos on how best to use the new features to increase your productivity. Visual Studio 2008 also includes a significant update to the .NET Compact Framework: Version 3.5. This version includes a compact version of the Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), Language Integrated Queries (LINQ), new and improved diagnostic and performance analysis tools, and many smaller improvements as well. This session will also serve as an introduction to the .NET Compact Framework for those not familiar with it.

Marriott Hotel ,Headford Road, Galway 7:30 PM - Thursday 18th Oct.

Salute to the Background Workers

Sun, 07 Oct 2007 17:38:50 GMT

Taken from GAMTUG: A Night at the Cinema

Just like the Background Worker Component in framework 2 [which is used to put long running activities into background threads ] user groups rely heavily on background workers who display (inter alia) the following characteristics

fantastic creativity
immense organizational skills
ability to fade into the background
never seek credit - even when it's patently overdue

Meet Fergal and Barry from Irish Dev to whom we in MTUG owe an immense debt of gratitude - if it were in my power I would nominate them both for Irish Internet People of the year.

Imagine Cup Kicks off in Sligo IT

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:40:26 GMT

Taken from GAMTUG: Sligo IT - Imagine Cup kickoff talk

Meet John Kelleher Sligo IT , Kieran Stafford Microsoft Student Liaison and Liam Cronin Microsoft.

Liam was in Sligo IT to promote the Imagine Cup - which he did very effectively thru' the use of an excellent set of slides [If I was only a student - I'd be entering myself] .

It was great to get a chance to speak with this enthusiastic bunch of Students and Staff - they cover the whole Microsoft stack from Developer to IT pro . Now, if we could only organize a bus to bring them and like minded developers along the Galway - Sligo axis to our meetings.

This Developer Community Works

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 20:18:42 GMT

Taken from GAMTUG: MTUG Community Leaders

Meet David Houston - Small Business Server Community Leader MTUG. - a true Community practitioner.I met David at this year's annual User Group Leader summit .

Remember in "2007-2008 Season - What's the Lineup" I said ...

So why not join us at our community meetings and let's start sharing knowledge - it's not what you know - it's knowing who has the answer to your current show stopper.
You never know when you need to call on someone - Today my SBS server decided to cease cooperating with me. I remembered that David told me to call him anytime if I had a problem with SBS. Being a developer , I know nothing about Servers - to me they're akin to black magic /voodoo - it's like owning a car - I can drive it but don't ask me to change the oil.

So , paint the picture , I'm sitting at my desk as I try to access the Internet - nothing doing - I use it exclusively to support my clients - Monday morning first thing I have a client coming on for a software update. It's Saturday 11:45 am where am I going to get IT support. I check the server and sure enough I have access from there - but there's an ISA server error showing up in my event logs.
The awful thought goes thru' my mind - I'll have to re-install Small Business Server - there goes Sunday.In desperation I contact David . In 4 minutes by a series of astute questions my problem is solved - download the latest service pack for ISA server - I thought I had auto updates enabled but as that wise Connemara women would say "Na bi Ceapadh - bi cinnte" Never Assume also Ensure.

Thanks DAVID for making my day - you're the reason I'm glad to be part of this fantastic community MTUG

Martha's Silverlight Tour

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:11:32 GMT

Taken from GAMTUG: Bar Camp Galway 2007

Those lucky few with a valid ticket for tonight's Silverlight sparks ignite RIA (SOLD OUT) will be able to tell their grandchildren - I was there when Martha presented her Silverlight talk. This show has been playing off 'Broadway' for the last week [5 presentations in 3 days] to a much appreciative and captivated audience here in the West of Ireland.Martha has brought the sparkle back into programming to both Student and practitioner alike - don't be fooled by her quiet delivery - this Lady knows her product - every sentence is measured and precise - and every now and then the passion she feels for her subject bubbles to the surface.

It's not often that you get to see a ROCK STAR in action - don't be late - halo 3 launch party pales in comparison

A major loss for the Silverlight team - a major gain for the Developer community in Ireland - DPE Ireland Rocks!!

Continuing the Conversation - BAR CAMP Galway 2007

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 20:11:53 GMT

We're all familiar with the 'Tower of Babel' - and that might go some part of the way to explain why we all speak/use different languages to talk to these computer chips . We've all been confounded..... now what would happen if you could reverse this process ... this is what bar camp is all about - 20 to 30 minute conversations of what I do and why I do it this way. When it started at 10:00 am we all entered speaking Geekish - each in our own peculiar accent - but by the conference end we all realized that by talking we had reduced somewhat this language barrier. Remember it's the same set of ones and zeros stored in those chips that we are all addressing.

Where better place to hold this meeting of minds in than at the Digital Enterprise Research Institute who are helping to make the semantic web real. Met some more great people.

Don't miss the next BAR CAMP - I'll definitely be going again ....

Let's Start the Conversation ...

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:45:45 GMT

Microsoft's Theme for MIX 06 and MIX 07 was "Let's have a 72 hour conversation". Unfortunately, I didn't get to either - but Microsoft has made the sessions available on line - see Useful Links (Mix 07). I did get to go to MIX UK (sessions will be live any day now once encoded - again check Useful Links (MIX UK).

So what do they mean by conversation ....

MIX was designed (pun intended) to bridge the Semantic Gap between the Designers (read Turtle Neck types with intense Vision) and us poor Aesthetically Challenged Developers [think: Oklahoma - The FARMER and the COWBOY should be friends (I'm not saying which is which - I've enough problems with my C# friends)]. Watch the free videos on line and you can judge for yourself whether they're succeeding or not. If your answer is in the negative - tell them so - they really want to know !! Also check out the MSDN Ireland Blog(Blog List) and the MSDN UK Nuggets (Useful Links) again on the left. [By this time you'll probably come to the correct conclusion - don't bother reading these blog posting just explore the links]

MIX UK was a BLAST - met some great people - and believe it or not - we have 8 to 10 UK Speakers planning a DDD (Developer D D) conference for Spring 2008 in our fair city - don't forget to link to our events RSS feed (again on the left).

It was spread over 48 hours with fantastic sessions but the session that really stood out was entitled 'A nice cup of Tea and a sit down - it could only happen in England - fantastic bean bags - great tea and fantastic conversations - hence the Spring conference - pencil it in - sometime April/May 2008

I thought to myself - you couldn't top that - but I was wrong .....

2007-2008 Season - What's the lineup

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 08:39:44 GMT

There's never been a better or a worse time to update your technology skills. Major launches are scheduled to take place this season Visual Studio 2008 in November and Windows Server 2008 in February 2008 and of course Silverlight 1.1 (cross platform development) finally get to develop with .Net on the Apple . Of course underpinning these launches are major Technology shifts .Net Framework 3.5 - WPF (Windows presentation foundation) which will ultimately replace windows forms on the desktop and extend to the browser (Silverlight) - WCF (Windows Communication foundation) which is a one stop shop for all your communication needs [need only GROK one API] - WF (Windows Workflow foundation) which at long last allows easy separation of business rules from the DATA and UI layer - Windows Cardspace which allows easy password management and let's not forget LINQ - a real software plumbing eliminator and the fact that for the first time there's now a clear divergence emerging between VB and C#.

So what's a poor time challenged Developer supposed to do ?

You could always hide your head in the sand ..... but think about it - you're not alone - we're all in the same boat.

So why not join us at our community meetings and let's start sharing knowledge - it's not what you know - it's knowing who has the answer to your current show stopper.

Taken from GAMTUG: Speakers

To start our Season off - we have been extremely lucky in that Martha Rotter from the Microsoft Ireland Developer and Platform Group has agreed to share her insights into the new Silverlight technology. Being that she was formerly a member of the Silverlight development team at Microsoft - this promises to be a great session.

To give you an idea of what to expect - have a look at this !

Bookmark: Marriott Courtyard headford Rd, Galway Tuesday 25th at 7:30pm

But wait there's more .....

Thursday October 18th	Andy Wigley - Mobile Development using Orcas [Andy wants to climb one of the 12 pins - any Volunteers to guide him?]
Tuesday November 20th	Gar MacCriosta - BizTalk Server 2006 R2- enterprise communication without the pain
December 4th	Aidan Finn - Iron Ruby