Fun compile of a lengthy thread on an internal discussion list  (thanks Eric!)  :)

You might be a PM if…

• ... someone asks about your weekend plans and your answer consists of a list of Pri ones, twos, and threes.
• ... you’ve ever ended a relationship using a PowerPoint presentation.
• ... you shape your wedding plans around product releases.
• ... you can use all of the features of PowerPoint.
• ... you fail to associate ‘specs’ with ‘glasses’.
• ... you write a post mortem about every major decision in your life.
• ... you refer to your family and friends as “actors”.
• ... you spend your evenings and weekends making tons of candy because you had to bribe the engineers complete their tasks on time.
• ... you spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about how to rearrange the trash cans in the cafeteria to make the flow more efficient.
• ... you end every discussion with “so what are the next steps?”.
• ... when using a new website, you think this site would be a lot better if they just did ______.
• ... you are the one proposing and planning that great last Spring Break trip to your friends.
• ... you use Excel spreadsheets and random column sorting to choose your newborn child’s name.
• ... you use the term "ask" as a noun.
• ... you have a 5 phase plan for your Saturday night date.
• ... you’re adept at using rules to manage massive low-pri e-mail threads.
• ... you tell your wife/husband/partner that you simply can’t “grok” what he/she’s saying.
• ... you talked about the dogfood you ate yesterday to your girl friend at dinner.
• ... you know how many cycles you have available to do something.
• ... you set KPIs as part of a marriage proposal or acceptance.
• ... you conduct a post–mortem and it does not involve dead bodies.
• ... you’re wondering if there’s a process you can introduce to tame this e-mail beast.
• ... you’ve been called “bossy” by more than one person.
• ... you're constantly clarifying the difference between a risk and an issue.
• ... you ask your wife/husband/partner for their plan (when building your garden box).
• ... upon hearing a mere suggestion, you respond with “that’s a great idea, can I assign that action item to you?”.
• ... you're sending out status reports on everything you do, to your stakeholders – including your spouse, you are a lifetime PM.
• ... you plan your life with a detailed Project file... and it never reflects your real life.
• ... you go to a meeting and start with “I don't have much to say today” and then keep speaking for an hour.
• ... you use the words orthogonal, oarp, triage, long pole, milestone, or grok in daily conversation (and all in the same day).
• ... you use more three letter acronyms than actual words.
• ... you answer email after everyone else goes to bed.
• ... you answer email before anyone gets up.
• ... you complete a spec, review 5 others, triage dozens of bugs, plan a hotfix release, send status reports, schedule two meetings, drive two other meetings, and attend a customer conference call – before lunch.
• ... while ending a domestic phone conversation, you summarize the conversation and state the open points... Everyone in your house gives you a meaningful look and talk in whispers after you leave the room and giggle.
• ... you tend to identify the risks in everything you do and then start looking for workarounds/mitigations.
• ... if at every review cycle you KNOW there will be negative feedback from someone you irked for having to bird-dog them, and … if you learn to appreciate the description of you as “too direct”.
• ... break out in sweat when your spousal unit does not calculate the most efficient route for the weekend errands.
• ... you calculate the critical path for your weekend errands.
• ... if you actually know how to herd cats.
• ... if you buy a Karaoke machine and have 300+ songs organized in a pivot that you print & give to your guests at your spouse’s birthday the following Saturday night.
• ... if your wife is pregnant, you prepare a project plan with the doctor and hold him accountable is she is not tracking as per plan.
• ... if you talk to dev like a dev and talk to test like a test.

Free eBook available here: http://csna01.libredigital.com/?urss1q2we6

Learn about major new features in SQL Server 2008 including security, administration, and performance.

Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008:
Chapter 1: Security and Administration
Chapter 2: Performance
Chapter 3: Type System
Chapter 4: Programmability
Chapter 5: Storage
Chapter 6: Enhancements for High Availability
Chapter 7: Business Intelligence Enhancements

Calories in a Moose

http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=calories+in+a+moose&form=QBRE

MSFT AAPL GOOG quote

You can get quotes on multiple stocks at the same time with the results in a table

http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=MSFT+AAPL+GOOG+quote&form=QBRE

Birth rate in Uganda

http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=birth+rate+in+uganda&form=QBRE

Useful when working on that 5th grade Social Studies project.  You can do other stuff such as literacy rate, area, capital, GDP, population growth/density, infant mortality rate, population per physician, etc. Basically, anything :)

Where the hell am I

http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=Where+the+hell+am+I&form=QBRE

(Note... this feature depends on your IP address to properly geolocate.  If you use a large ISP it may locate you in some funky place :)

Define:eccentric

http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=define%3Aeccentric&form=QBLH

intitle:rescue package

http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=Intitle%3Arescue+package&form=QBRE

Not to mention our landing page is the prettiest one by far (and the picture changes every day)

http://www.live.com

If you haven’t downloaded the new Zune 3.0 software, you really should give it a try (you don’t even need the Zune hardware to use the software, and it really is a slick piece of software).

I am a fan of listening to new music that I’ve never heard, and had been using the Genius feature of iTunes 8 to create playlists of music I’d like to try.  However, I am finding that the “Social” aspect of the Zune software  allows me to find music recommendations from other people with similar tastes, which is working better for me than Apple’s Algorithm In The Sky (which can give some pretty crazy recommendations).  Couple the Zune Social (and Channels, and Mix View) with the all-you-can-eat Zune Pass subscription, and you are in new-music heaven.

If only there were a way to try that Zune-Pass before you buy.

Looking on the Zune site today, I see they have added a 14-day trial of Zune Pass for free.  Good deal!  I am downloading 80 songs as we speak :)  From the site:

Already have a Zune account?

1. If you don't have Zune 3.0 software, click here to upgrade.
2. Click here to sign into your account.
3. Click here to go to your account management page. 
4. Click Zune Pass. Fill in your contact information, select "Zune 14-day Trial Pass, Price $0.00," and input your credit card billing information.*
5. Click here to launch Zune Marketplace and start enjoying Zune Pass.

New to Zune?

1. Click here to sign up for a Zune account and download the free Zune 3.0 software.
2. Click here to go to your account management page. 
3. Click Zune Pass. Fill in your contact information, click Next, select "Zune 14-day Trial Pass, Price $0.00," click Next, and input your credit card billing information.*
4. Click here to launch Zune Marketplace and start enjoying Zune Pass.

* Your credit card will not be billed. This is a free trial.

The darndest things show up on the Microsoft Download Center.  If you’ve been looking for some posters to raise excitement about your upcoming Office 2007 deployment… then you’ll want to hit up the Office 2007 IW Excitement Posters.  From the description:

This is a collection of 6 posters designed to be used by Microsoft customers to post around their facility during Office 2007 deployment. The posters highlight the end-user attention-grabbing features that will get people interested in and excited about the new version. There are a set of low resolution versions to look at and to email to customers, as well as a set of high resolution versions suitable for printing at poster sizes. There is also a version which includes an editable spot for customers to insert their own logos.

Seriously though… Office 2007 is the bees knees.

It looks like this month’s TechNet Magazine is going buck-wild on Virtualization.

October 2008

An Introduction to Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008

The introduction of Hyper-V makes virtualization an even more compelling solution for IT environments. Get an overview of today’s virtualization market and see how Hyper-V improves the manageability, reliability, and security of virtualization Rajiv Arunkundram

Manage Your Virtual Environments with VMM 2008

System Center Virtual Machine Manager provides a consolidated interface for managing your virtual infrastructure. The latest version adds support for Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, as well as for VMware virtual machines. Explore the new features and get an overview of using VMM to centralize your management tasks. Edwin Yuen

Getting Started with Microsoft Application Virtualization

Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V) allows you to deliver virtualized desktops to client systems throughout your organization. This simplifies system management and liberates employees from their desktops. Take a close look at how App-V works and discover how you can deploy it in your organization. Anthony Kinney

Achieving High Availability for Hyper-V

Consolidating servers onto fewer physical machines has many advantages, but it is extremely important that you plan for your systems to be highly available. Here’s a guide to using Windows Server 2008 Failover Clustering to bring high availability to your Hyper-V virtual machines. Steven Ekren

Backup and Disaster Recovery for Server Virtualization

Virtualization brings significant changes to disaster recovery. Here’s an introduction to how the Microsoft virtualization platform factors into your disaster recovery plan, as well as a deeper look into backup and restore options and considerations for Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V. Adam Fazio

Essential Tools for Planning Your Virtual Infrastructure

Is your infrastructure ready for virtualization? The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit, a network-wide infrastructure assessment tool, can help you better understand your IT infrastructure and determine whether your systems are ready for upgrade or migration to a variety of technologies, including virtualization. Jay Sauls and Baldwin Ng

Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool

Virtual machines that are stored offline don’t automatically receive the necessary updates to keep them safe and compliant. This, in turn, can pose a risk to your entire IT environment. Find out how the free Offline Virtual Machine Servicing Tool lets you automate the process of updating virtual machines. Peter Skjøtt Larsen and Suveen Kumar Reddy Vuppala

Okay... here's the deal.  My team is hiring.  This is a limited-time, clock-is-ticking, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work at an awesome job for an awesome team at an awesome company. (Did I cover how I feel about this position yet?)

Here's what we are looking for:

• Passion for people (interacting with Microsoft Partners as a trusted advisor is a key part of this role)
• Passion for technology (reading blogs like this one is a good start, and you're the kind of person that has a complete virtualized AD domain setup in their garage)
• Passion for knowledge (both learning and sharing your experience)
• SMB consulting experience (if you have it, you know what SMB stands for)
• Broad experience with Microsoft technology, and specializing in one of our current Enterprise offerings (System Center, SharePoint, SQL Server, etc).  If you are a web developer focused on SharePoint, we could use you as well.
• Must be SUPER current on new Microsoft releases (you beta tested Windows Server 2008, love Hyper-V, and have upgraded SharePoint to run on SQL Server 2008, right?  You're the kind of person that keeps hitting refresh on Microsoft Watch to find out if Windows 7 is in beta)
• Framework experience (MOF/ITIL/etc) is a plus

Travel is minimal as this is a phone-based role out of Issaquah, WA.  The work environment is relaxed, and in two years I have not had to work a single week-end.  This is a full-time, blue-badge deal.

In short, my team provides technical advisory services to Microsoft Partners who are working on projects to implement Microsoft technologies.  We provide best practices and guidance to the partners so that their deployments are successful the first time, every time.

If you are interested, ping me at: sean dot earp at microsoft dot com and I'll fill you in on the details.

Get it here: http://www.zune.net/en-us/products/zunesoftware/download.htm

My favorite new feature?  Support for audiobooks through Audible and Overdrive (your local library likely has audiobooks that you can download and listen to on your Zune).  Awesome for commuting!  The "buy from FM" feature is pretty sweet as well...

So what is new?

• Buy From FM. Every Zune comes with an FM radio – and now you can use FM broadcasts to discover new songs for your music collection.   Using RDS and RT+ data feeds from thousands of radio stations around the country, you can see song information while you are listening and tag the song for download the next time you sync your Zune. 
  
• Audiobooks
  One of our most-requested features is here: audiobooks on your Zune, from Audible.com and OverDrive.
  
• Zune Channels. Channels are an exciting new tool for music discovery – like a “radio station” that automatically syncs to your device so it’s available for listening offline.  You can subscribe to channels programmed by experts from the music industry (eg., the Billboard Top 100, FADER magazine and KEXP radio playlists) or choose top “chart-channels” from all genres and sub-genres in our marketplace. Zune’s powerful software-service will even create custom channels for you, based on your favorite artists and genres. 
  
• Personal Picks. When you browse to Zune Marketplace, you’ll find a new area called ‘Picks’ where Zune’s recommendation algorithm will suggest artists, albums and tracks based on the music you have been listening to, as well as offer channels created explicitly for you and a list of listeners-like-you from the Zune Social.
  
• Mixview. Select an artist, album or Zune Card to activate a dynamic, visual mosaic of related music and listeners (screenshot below at left). With each click users can take the view in a new direction, creating a fun, graphical way to discover new music. Mixview works with users’ current collection of music, in addition to tracks and albums from across the Zune Marketplace.
  
• Now Playing. The improved “Now Playing” view is more interactive and cinematic. Just sit back and enjoy our combination of great artist imagery, colorful effects, bio information and data from the Zune online music community… all combined in a full screen view.  At anytime you can click to dive deeper into the music behind the picture; providing another great way to interact with your collection.
  
• Browse Zune Marketplace wirelessly
  Download music directly to your Zune: at home, at a café… wherever there's a wireless hotspot.

Zune has partnered with high-speed Internet access provider Wayport to let customers wirelessly shop Zune Marketplace on their player at more than 9,800 McDonald's restaurants across the U.S.

• New Zune Originals
  Even more designs for you to personalize your Zune.
  
• Games
  You can now play games on your Zune! Devices come preloaded with Texas hold 'em and Hexic.
  
• Clock
  You'll never again wonder what time it is.

http://www.zune.net

Below are screenshots from IE8, Safari, and Firefox 3 when visiting a phishing website that hit my email this morning. (Firefox didn't yet have the bad URL in their blacklist, so I waited until they did to take a screenshot).

Does your web browser pass the "keep my grandma safe" test?

Internet Explorer 8

Firefox 3

Safari 3

I know this has been in the works for a while, but I see over on the MOF blog that Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0 has been licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution license.  From the post:

One of the first things people realize when looking at implementing a service management framework, whether it is ITIL, MOF, or another, is that they must not only be adopted but also adapted to your individual organization's needs.  You have to decide which of the described processes are relevant to your requirements and to what depth to apply them.  this is true whether you are a consultant trying to make a living assisting others in their implementations, or a IT Manager trying to decide how improve upon your organization's existing change control. 

MOF 4.0 now fully supports this need for flexibility and the ability to remix, adapt, and shuffle the content with the adoption of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. This license allows you to freely Share (copy, distribute, or transmit) any of the MOF content and Remix (adapt) that content to suit your needs.  For a full legal explanation of the terms of the license, please refer to the Creative Commons website.

Let us know how you take advantage of this as we're looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

This is awesome news, and I know that community participation is a huge focus of the MOF team (especially through their online community).

Microsoft also has some tools that will make it easy to license your own content as Creative Commons:

• Creative Commons Add-in for Microsoft Office 2007

• Creative Commons Add-in for Microsoft Office 2003 & Office XP

These add-ins enables you to embed Creative Commons licenses directly into Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents.  How cool is that?  I love working at Microsoft :)

It has been too long since I posted about the latest Solution Accelerators from my favorite team at Microsoft (er… the Solution Accelerator team).  I have a couple of posts queued up in my head that I’ll write as soon as I have the time.

In any case, this announcement is time-sensitive, so I wanted to get it up here.  The Solution Accelerator for Compliance Management will be released in a few weeks, and they are seeking feedback.  If you are involved in projects around compliance with any of the following:

• Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)

• Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

• European Union Data Protection Directive (EUDPD)

• Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)

• ISO 27002 Code of Practice for Information Security Management

• COBIT

• AICPA Generally Accepted Privacy Principles (GAPP)

You have likely noticed that the regulations state what controls (business and technical) must be in place within your business, but that the “how-to” is left to you.  This Solution Accelerator maps the above regulations and standards to the Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF), presents technology solutions for compliance and IT control, and walks through an applied example. From the overview:

The Compliance Management Series (a MOF–based expansion of the Regulatory Compliance Planning Guide) provides Standards of Care and simple checklists to help you configure Microsoft products to address Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) requirements.

Standards of Care simplify complex categories such as Asset Management, Compliance Management, and Risk Management, and clarify how to configure Microsoft products quickly and effectively for these categories.

The Series uses Microsoft Operations Framework (MOF) 4.0 to provide a mechanism for viewing data in a Plan-Deliver-Operate-Manage methodology.

The beta release of the Compliance Management Series is now available and will be open thru September 24, 2008 for your review. To join the beta program for this accelerator, click here. 

If you love technology, Windows Vista, and live in one of the following locations, you can be a Windows Guru!

From the job description:

After mentioning the new SharePoint Best Practices Resource Center, I see that they have also put up a Performance and Capacity Planning Resource Center for SharePoint Server 2007.  I am loving this Resource Center concept!

In my last post, I lauded the SharePoint team for putting up a site covering their Best Practices, and mentioned that the other Product Groups should do the same.

Ask and you shall receive…

SQL Server Best Practices here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/bb671430.aspx

Great concept!  I hope that the other product groups follow suit and put their best practices all in one place…

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/sharepointserver/bb736746.aspx

When managing projects or people, delegation is A Good Thing™. 

I have had a problem, however, that emails I send (no matter how clear I make it that a response is needed) are often simply ignored by the recipient.

Since I send and receive about 4 million emails a day, I tend to not notice that nobody replied to my email until I am searching through my sent items a month later, and notice the SUPER IMPORTANT EMAIL that nobody ever replied to.

(I have a theory that many people on my team have an Outlook rule that says

“If FROM=Sean Then SEND TO /dev/null/bitbucket”

but what are you going to do?) ;)

So how can I remind myself to check on a response a day, a week, or a month from now?

It turns out that there is a GIANT RED FLAG button in Outlook that I have somehow overlooked, entitled (strangely enough) “Follow Up”.  Hmmm… I wonder what that button does?

You can select one of the built-in flags, or select “Add Reminder…”, which brings up the following box.

Now, you can set a reminder for an hour before your next meeting, so you can remember to bug the recipient about his/her response the next time you speak.  Imagine that. :)