With this posting, I am closing my blogging efforts at Microsoft, coincident with my leaving Microsoft. I started this blog seeking to find out what it takes to be a good blogger. Clearly, one of the critical things that it takes is quality time—something...

Can anyone tell me what the plural of the word "Prius" is? Fill-in the empty space: "Wow Karen! Look at all those _________ (many Prius)!"

Subtitle: "An Incredibly Simple Example of Budget Modeling" Most budget versus actual comparisons reduce down to the comparison of two fully-qualified account balances: Although there are many variations, a “fully-qualified account” is defined within...

I find metadata fascinating. In a previous life, I conducted conference sessions on Oracle Server metadata. So, the new metadata views and tables in SQL Server 2005 are pretty interesting to me. Apparently, I’m not alone. I note that at least one blogger...

Last entry, I discussed how budgeting is, in essence, a modeling process. Today, I want to talk about some of Microsoft’s modeling products for business. Before I start, I need to give the caveat that Microsoft has a large number of products, many...

If you have been tracking this blog, you may have noticed that my rate of posting has going down recently. (Thanks for noticing!) I have been busy doing my “real job”, working to complete the next release of Microsoft Forecaster . It is during times...

Last entry, I began discussing the importance of a target to business intelligence (BI). Today, I continue. Before an organization can establish the specific numeric targets suitable for use in a BI application, it needs a mission and the goals that...

“Business intelligence” can be a term that has a rather generic meaning, meaning many different things to many different people. Throughout all these definitions there is generally one central theme: That of providing timely information to decision makers...

I am amazed at the degree to which Microsoft is involved in the “smart” car—to the degree that there are multiple and, perhaps, confusing definitions for “smart” car. For example, Microsoft has partnered with Fiat to offer a car that runs Windows,...

One of my interests is mobile computing. I have a personal interest: I own a Windows Mobile Cingular 8125 phone/PDA. (See Cingular 8125- Cingular Wireless .) So, as I am starting to get “in” to blogging, it is only logical that I start asking “How...

I bet if you did a statistical analysis of questions about SQL Server 2005, you would end up with a pattern approximating the 80/20 rule. That is, 80 percent of the questions would be on 20 percent of the topics. I really like what Jens Süßmeyer has...

After posting my first entry on Wednesday, dealing with “How to be a good blogger?”, I have been considering questions of philosophy. What do I believe to be a good blog entry worthy of posting? You see, I would like this blog to be successful....

That is exactly the question that I’ve been asking myself the last few days since my friend Ward Pond asked me for a link to my blog—which didn’t exist. When I searched the net for an answer, one of the first places at which I landed was at the University...