Last month saw the release of the SQL Bundle 5. Here, some key members of the Red Gate development team offer insight into some of the major new features, and the technical challenges they faced in implementing them.… Read more
The process of appointing managers in large IT department is shrouded in mystery. The bewilderingly random and illogical nature of the process makes it a gambler's delight, and it's often difficult for workers to resist the odd wager on the outcome.… Read more
Phil Factor offers an intriguing theory on why so many, hugely complex, government IT projects fail. Is it because there is a world of difference between the business processes that really take place in a company and the management's understanding of those processes?… Read more
Software projects fail for all sorts of reasons, although the same reasons crop up over and over again. The ICONIX process might offer a way out.… Read more
Meet Glenn Johnson; he runs Glenn Johnson Technical Training and has just written "Programming Microsoft ADO.NET Applications - Advanced Topics".… Read more
In Part I of this series, I discussed the role and value of conferences in the career development of SQL Server and .NET developers. In this article, I move on to discuss online technical forums, focusing on what to do before you post on a newsgroup or forum in order to derive maximum benefit from them, and avoid trying the patience and goodwill of the forum community.… Read more
Whenever I worry about how I shall earn a crust when my mental powers start failing, I always console myself with the thought that I can go and start an IT employment agency. Many before me have done so. It is remarkably easy, as the profession of "Employment Agent" seems to be almost free of regulation. … Read more
"In grad school, I had a temporary assignment as director of the undergrad labs, where I had to manage the grades of 800 students. My predecessor had handled this using a rudimentary Commodore PET program. I re-wrote the program so that it used a very basic DBMS, based on flat files. Not bad for a 32K machine." -- Tom Moreau
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A number of years ago, I wrote a blog entry entitled "Who is Responsible for your Career?". It was perhaps the second most popular post I ever wrote (judging by reads and referrals), and it generated a large number of comments and other blog entries, both pro and con. … Read more
Phil Factor mourns the demise of the Eccentric in the IT World - "One of the best programmers I ever met was referred to, in Essex jargon, as being 'two stops short of Dagenham' (Barking)*. … Read more
Dr. Michael Rys is the program manager for the SQL Server Engine Team at Microsoft, represents Microsoft on the W3C XQuery Working Group and has a seat on the SQL Standardization committee.… Read more
Most software projects fail. Only about a quarter are completely successful. About half are late and over budget and the remaining quarter just fade into oblivion. What if there was a simple way to ensure your project's success? There is, and it's all about starting out in the right way...… Read more
Peter runs a consulting firm that develops data-driven enterprise solutions, he is also a programming instructor for Wintellect and a frequent speaker on SQL Server and other subjects.… Read more
Scott is the director of IT for a premier web hosting company called ORCS Web, and has spent a lot of time working on SQL Server 2005 issues related to that business.… Read more
Adam is a Microsoft MVP and a Microsoft Certified Professional. He speaks at Code Camps and has just become an independent consultant for SQL Server.… Read more
