Here. Someone sent me a fabulous follow up email to "The Average Return Myth," but in the heat of the PDC, I didn't get a chance to read it and now that the PDC is over, I can't find it again! All I remember is that the person's email address started with "cat" (I think). Can you please send it again, Mr. Cat? Thanks!

Here. Mike Deem, PM on the WinFS team, lays out the core story of WinFS. It's an object store, not a file system. WinFS uses XML to describe the types of items that can be stored and then exposes .NET types for creating and finding items in the store. Also, and this is where the confusion comes from (and the codename of the technology doesn't help), when a file is created in a certain part of the system (\\localhost\DefaultStore), an item is created in the underlying store automatically. This item is used to allow the same finding code to work for things that are file-backed, like images, and for things that aren't file-backed, like contacts. Unfortunately, the story that Mike tells isn't complete yet, because custom item types can't be added using the PDC Longhorn bits, but a few of today's facts shouldn't ruin a good story of tomorrow. : )

Here. Brad Wilson and Chris Anderson list their first computing experiences. My first was in the library where I grew up (my mom was a single librarian for a while and needed to bring me to work). I was about 5 years old and the "computer" was a giant VT paper terminal. Every command I typed when onto 132-column pin-feed paper and was also sent across town to the U of MN's computers. I played maze and hunt the wumpus for hours. My first programming experience was Applesoft Basic on an Apple II+ (my mom asked if I wanted an Apple //e, but I thought that 80 columns and lower case was just a fad : ). During high school, I spent 4 years as a full-time Basic programmer (only attending school during the day). And, like all Basic programmers seem to, I was writing database applications (to track my D&D characters, of course!).

Here. If you're a GDN workspaces fan, but pine for a stand-alone client outside of VS.NET and the browser, have I got a deal for you! Andy Oakley, the GDN Workspaces PM, has posted a stand-alone WinForms client for GDN workspaces. Enjoy.

Here. The one where I meet BillG's Technical Advisor and am charmed into volunteering for more work.

Saturday, November 15, 2003

In my continuing quest to take advantage of unique experiences at Microsoft for those that aren’t able to, I spent an hour in a meeting with Bill Gates’s Technical Advisor, Alexander Gounares, earlier this week. Among other things, Alex is responsible for getting answers when Bill asks questions like “Hey, what are we doing about adding air conditioning to Windows?”

I’ve had meetings with senior execs at MS before and I always end up saying stuff that upsets them. This time, the guy was so nice, I just wanted to nod my head and do whatever he asked of me. In fact, the thing I volunteered to work on (a “vision” whitepaper exploring a new application of technology that’s still under development) wasn’t so much that he asked me to do it, but rather because he asked for a volunteer and made eye contact with me in such a heart-warming way that I couldn’t say no. (Of course, my boss kicking me under the table didn’t hurt, either… : )

BTW, in case you wondered, while the Sr. VP I upset knew me from my blog, Alex didn’t know me from Adam. : )

For folks keeping track, in my six month career at MS, I gotten to do *lots* of cool stuff:

• Launch the Longhorn Developer Center
• Hang out back stage at the PDC, including preparing to act as Chris Anderson’s demo understudy and helping ship one of MSDN’s new features (annotations)
• Write a Think Week paper for BillG and receive his comments back on it
• Meet Anders Hejlsberg, Eric Gunnerson and Robert Hess
• Have meetings with several execs, including one Group VP, one Sr. VP and BillG’s TA
• Crash a WinFX API review
• Introduce MS to the joy of a DevCon
• Help get my PUM blogging
• Invent an extension to RSS that is getting fairly wide implementation, e.g. SharpReader, RssBandit and .Text.
• Appear on The .NET Show
• Get a few mentions in the press as an official MS employee (including one that my Mom saw that made her very proud : )
• Keep up contact with the community as much as I’m able via email, mailing lists, newsgroups, articles, conference talks and appearances

I list these not to brag, but to reflect on how many cool things there are to do at MS. I assume it’s all down hill from here. : )

Here. Paul Thurrot digs deeply into the PDC build of Longhorn, including impressions, screen shots and videos. Of course, since this is a developer release, the user experience isn't nearly what we plan it to be, but even developers need to know how to use the OS for which they're developing. : )

Here. Brad Abrams, a Lead PM on the WinFX team at Microsoft, *begs* for your feedback on the WinFX API: "Don't complain later if you don't help me fix it now ;-) Please comment or drop me an email or IM."