Mike OnTAP

Microsoft has a cool commercial? No way!

2007-05-16T17:24:00Z

http://download.microsoft.com/download/b/7/b/b7be5716-2859-4f65-8de5-b4ef1f3e723f/FeaturesShowcase.wmv

http://flickrvision.com/ beta

2007-05-15T01:44:00Z

The makers of twittervision are back with a new twist.. http://flickrvision.com/

3 cool things to see on the net today.

2007-05-09T20:09:00Z

1. Windows Mobile oPhone

2. J Allard’s Presspass photo

3. MSFT signs deal for 2 new web shows

Updated Server Logo Cert Spec version 1.02

2007-05-09T01:03:00Z

Previously, I had been pointing ISVs to the old link on partner.microsoft.com but it looks like a newer version of the document was posted to http://www.innovateonwindowsserver.com on April 16^th. There’s a new testing tool that also available that’s supposed to be the cat’s meow.

Woohoo!! A new logo spec to read! <grin>

International S.O.B Week ( May 14 through May 18 )

2007-05-08T19:08:00Z

That’s right. The first annual Support Our Bloggers Week is right around the corner. Participation is easy, just make a list of the blogs you like and send each blogger one quick piece of feedback. Keep it simple. Something like “I like your blog” or “Keep blogging” will work fine.

It you want extra credit, add “… .. _ _..” to the end of your post. It’s Morse code for SOB.

All bloggers yearn for blog comments. There’s a desire, when you feel you’ve posted something special, to know people are really reading it. I even know bloggers that don’t allow comments because they fear blogger rejection. Blogger rejection is the pain of knowing someone could comment, but didn’t.

The upside of participating in S.O.B. week is that is gets you registered on the blogs you read. You’ll be ready to jump into the conversation the next time you have something real to add.

Quick Tip for Project Managers ( best practices made ugly)

2007-05-08T01:05:00Z

A great idea doesn’t equal a great best practice, even when it’s always applicable. Explore all sides of an issue before making the determination on which solution is best, here’s an example.

Opportunity to improve

A quality email subject improves the chances it will receive an answer

Implementation of Best Practice

Include a section in your Company handbook that details subject line etiquette with easy examples on what to avoid (List taken from Raymond Chen’s Blog).

1. Customer question

2. Question about Windows XP

3. New question

4. Help needed

5. Any help will be most appreciated

6. ….

Undesired Outcome

Some employees now see these subject lines view them negatively. Some employees no longer read these emails because they assume email that can’t meet a basic best practice isn’t worth reading. You’ve converted a percentage of your group to use higher quality subject lines but created the subject line mafia in the process.

Alternative best practice implementation

Add a handbook section that teaches how to correct email subjects as the best practice. Let employees know it’s easy to lead by example in this area. When a Poor subject poster has a subject renamed for them, they instantly understand why it was changed and they learn through positive corrective behavior what a good subject looks like.

What do you mean it won't install? !!1!?

2007-05-03T19:40:00Z

With Longhorn being downloaded faster than a lightsaber wielding cat that dances on an old lady being scared by a kid surfing on the roof of his truck video, don’t forget to check out the “Oh Crap, My App Doesn’t Work Rescue Manual”. It's lovingly called the App Compat Cookbook (quietly released to the web last month) . This is typically the most requested doc from ISVs when they start QAing their apps.

Coolest end user feature of Longhorn Beta 3

2007-05-02T19:38:00Z

Server is boring… right? You won’t catch a user stowed away in your datacenter just to play with Server Manager’s new role interface.. I’ve never seen people lined up outside a Best Buy trying to get their hands on the latest and greatest Group Policy changes. There are some cool features for us end users, the real consumers of the product that we never see unless it’s through the snazzy secure-looking glass windows on the “meet our IT guys” tour.

RemoteApp is something I found that makes Longhorn “cool” for the guys/gals on the receiving end of an upgrade.

2 years ago, my dodge ball team CRUSHED the TS team at the local gym and, as this has nothing to do with TS, it just needed to be said. From the TS docs - RemoteApp programs are programs that are accessed remotely through Terminal Services and appear as if they are running on the end user's local computer. Users can run RemoteApp programs side by side with their local programs. A user can minimize, maximize, and resize the program window, and can easily start multiple programs at the same time. That’s cool.

Drop a comment if you think you have a cooler end user feature for Longhorn.

Is Longhorn Beta 3 for Real?

2007-05-02T03:07:00Z

We seem to have our act together on this release. Here’s some signs that make me think we are closer to understanding customer requirements.

1. We have solid documentation online, before RTM.

2. We opened the floodgates with a highly visible public beta.

3. We have solid support from the ISV community providing public betas of their own Longhorn apps.

Defining OnTAP

2007-05-01T21:09:00Z

OnTAP is a play on the idiom "On TAP" meaning available for immediate use, and the Acronym for the group I work on at Microsoft; the Windows Server ISV Technical Adoption Program (TAP) team. I know, it’s a definition that could cure the most severe cases on insomnia. Keep checking back for even more mundane posts, we can’t all be as cool as the kids working on the defy all challenges site.