Later today I am going to start playing with CS 2.0. I will be backing up the existing site and making a few tweaks here and there. Expect some 404’s and other weirdness…
Cheers!
When I decided to get all gung-ho on blogging, I did it for all the wrong reasons. There was some perceived pressure from management that blogging would be an unwritten requirement to succeed come annual review. There was the competitive factor from seeing some of my co-workers embrace blogging and become successful at it. Finally, there was the desire to try something new.
I have since learned that there are much better reasons for blogging.
First, let’s assume you aren’t blogging with the end-goal of making money directly through your blog by advertising. That is a whole different reason for blogging. Once that is out of the way, most technical bloggers blog for the following reasons: Raise awareness of a product or technology, to form a relationship with a community that has a common interest or goal, ensure correct and accurate information makes it to the public, and most importantly – being passionate about something.
While my blogging to date has sort of touched on some of those areas, what I have lacked so far has been the most important aspect – the passion. I have spent the past few weeks thinking about this and whether blogging is the right thing for me to do. I have decided that it is.
I do have some passion around a few products and technologies that Microsoft (and others!) has or will have. I just have a difficult time expressing that passion outside of being hip deep in product CD’s in my computer room. I think some of what I get to work with and see is fantabulistic. I just don’t express myself well when trying to communicate it in writing.
BUT! I seem to be able to tap that passion when I do live presentations. I get animated and excited. I get stressed when demos don’t work, and spastic when they do (there is no better feeling than demoing a beta product that has given you grief for weeks only to do it live and it work). So how do I tap that same energy, broaden it’s reach and appeal, while overcoming my lack of written communications skills?
My Answer: ScreenCasts
Actually, it isn’t my answer so much as a borrowed answer. Some of my co-workers have done a few screen casts already. If you have not seen Chris Henley’s fantastic ScreenCast on Vista Voice Recognition, then you have missed a phenomenal presenter with true passion talking about a very, very cool and useful technology in Vista. Go watch it now. I will gladly pause typing while you do.
Welcome back……now, go watch his ScreenCast on Vista Parental Controls……and now go watch his ScreenCast on PhotoStory. ScreenCasts are one of the coolest ways to talk about and show the technology that we (and others!) have.
So what does this all mean?
It means I am changing my blog. I am going to narrow the focus of my blog to fewer technologies. I talk about a lot of different products, but let’s face it, not all of them interest me. It is a lot easier to get truly excited when you are excited about the product. It makes you WANT to talk about it. So what do I LIKE? Small Business Server, Media Center, ISA, Exchange and Windows. That sounds like a lot but when you consider that Exchange and ISA are a part of SBS Premium and I have worked with SBS for 7 years now, it lends some perspective. I also run my own Windows, ISA, Exchange, Web servers at home (which I wouldn’t be doing if I didn’t LIKE to). I also have a secret love affair with my Media Center (actually, I built it for the Nun 3 years ago under the guise of a Christmas present……it’s really mine…..she just thinks it is hers…..) that I wish to extend and grow. Like any love affair, there are rough spots and like any relationship that you want to succeed there needs to be some good communication. So I want to communicate my ups and downs with the product.
I suppose I could just narrow the focus to SBS and Media Center. Now that I have typed that up, it even makes more sense. I will leave that up in the air for now.
There is another part to this as well. Community Server 2.0 is available now and I have been itching to try it. That means the blog gets a face lift and over all improvements. My understanding is that 2.0 is more than just a new coat of paint too. So I am going to change the look and feel of the blog over the next two weeks to go along with the refined focus. Btw, I was originally going to do this in the June timeframe (after the wedding…after the relocation) but I am really excited about doing the ScreenCasts so I have decided to do it now instead of later.
Besides…..I still feel a perceived pressure from management, I am still competitive with my peers, and……it’s something new to try!
Cheers!
Ps….I recently attended an MVP Briefing in San Diego and met some fantastic MVP’s. During the session, Ed Hickey, a Director (someone correct me if this title is incorrect) in the MVP Program explained some of the most basic criteria to being an MVP – Be Recognizable, Be Credible, Be Accessible. All of which apply directly to blogging as well. So that is my promise to you, faithful readers.
Double Cheers!
I have had a couple requests over the past two weeks for the Technet Resource DVD we gave out Oct-Dec at our SQL events. I am all out of the DVD’s I have so and I have decided against posting it online. Here’s why…
This DVD was sent to production almost 6 months ago. This was prior even to the release of SQL 2005. There is a substantial amount of information on the DVD that is based upon pre-release information and beta products. Many of the documents, utilities and even webcasts have been updated to reflect the features and capabilities of the final SQL 2005 product.
I will investigate what we will do for the current and future DVD’s and their exposure online. For now, the best way to ensure you get the DVD is to come to a free Technet Briefing near you (in the U.S.).
Cheers!