I Evangelist..

Am I founding another new software venture, probably YES!

Scott Worley — Fri, 03 Dec 2004 02:27:00 GMT

Well, time to explain why I have been so busy,.

As I have previously stated I am working on a book on smart device development, however whilst I am still working on this book. I have been considering strating a new software focused company based on a few technologies and ideas I have been working on over the past few years. Unfortunately it is too early to say much more, except that it is pretty likely that once I get the new venture up and running that I will put some of the book work I have been doing online for the community, most specifically the book on Smart Client Development. Now all I have to do, is get things moving.

More on what is going on will appear here over the next few weeks...

Scott Worley,
Getting too busy but loving it all, as always...

Got too busy once again...

Scott Worley — Wed, 24 Nov 2004 00:04:00 GMT

Well, I got too busy once more, and have been neglecting the blog, but am back in a week with more posts and information on the books I am currently working on.

Screen Capture of a VS2005 application in Design and Debug Mode?

Scott Worley — Fri, 29 Oct 2004 01:01:00 GMT

I am not sure if VS2005 actually has this or not, yes I know that I can use other tools to do it. But would it not make a great feature.

I ask this since I have quite a few screens that I am preparing for an article on Smartphone 2003 SE UI development, and its a pain to create sized images of the display, now if only I had a print winform/webform/whatever to clipboard or file option in the standard graphics formats I would love such a simple addition.

Maybe I should, think about an addon to do this, unless it already exists?

Does it?

The SmartPhone UI Issue...

Scott Worley — Fri, 29 Oct 2004 00:43:00 GMT

Well I love the challenge of creating a meaningful UI on a SmartPhone device, for some reason I find it more limiting than WAP/WML but am getting used to it.

The biggest problem is figuring out how to use the device in the most effective way, I am just so thankful that T9 input is pretty advanced and functional these days.

Later on I will post some <what I define as well designed> SmartPhone UI images from the project I mentioned earlier. these are just proof of concept images. The PocketPC ones are coming soon.

I am also working on a UI design guide for SmartPhones at the moment, and also another art finished article on Smart Client Functionality degradation through the UI Layer <ewww, I need a better title for that...>

SmartPhone 2003 SE Emulator lockups in VS 2005

Scott Worley — Fri, 29 Oct 2004 00:40:00 GMT

Arrrgghhhh, I hate having to reset my development machines. yeah I know its part of the fun working with Beta products.... But it drives me crazy, last night at least 20 resets, So much lost time... oh well, time for coffee and munchies I suppose...

Now the real issue, I noticed that if you close down the SmartPhone emulator for 2003 SE, without stopping a project running in debug mode, you can't re-run your application using the emulator. Since unless I reset my system, it will not deploy the new application and either lockup or just throw errors about the file system... I hope this is a problem with my system; however if I use a different emulator I do not have the same issue???

Any ideas?

I am starting a New MS Technology based project.

Scott Worley — Fri, 29 Oct 2004 00:34:00 GMT

Well I have been working a a few book proposals once more, and noticed that I needed a really good sample application to demonstrate most of the the areas covered in most of the books I am planning <publisher permitting :) of course>.

So at the moment I actually have 2 main application types to create (I Will be doing both parts of the app, just need a little push on which one to do first.)

The objective of the app, thats simple I am building what I tend to refer to as a distributed Smart Client and Web Connected application.

The two application Types I have are:

Project management and Issue Tracking Solution <probably based on Scrum techniques, maybe also Agile MSF and XP Practices as well>
Simple CRM system - initially focused on the SFA aspect of CRM

The UI Clients that I will be designing, will be

Winform Smart Client
PocketPC Smart Client
SmartPhone Smart Client
MS Office based Smart Clients/<tags>
Web based connected Client
<maybe VS 2005 addon/smart client - still looking into this>

Smart Client Connectivity options: <WS and/or remoting>

Full Sync on connect and request
P2P Sync
Messaging Based Sync and Wait

SO THE QUESTION IS, what would people like to see first CRM application or Project Tracking Application.

I will be posting design notes, sample screens etc... as time goes on, but prefer to create something the community would like to see. And of course my website will be back up soon to help track and update the status of this slightly ambitious project.

Scott Worley

Yet another Tech. Toy justified by my need to test development tools

Scott Worley — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 08:47:00 GMT

I am buying a new SMARTPHONE.

Yes I could buy a PDA phone but since I already have a PDA, and am doing the preparation work for 2 books that are using the same application sample (I hope). that features a Smartphone based Smart Client. I have the excuse I need, that and my old phone, well, looks old I suppose.

I will be posting information on the application I am building as a source example for my next set of books very soon. <once I have decided what it will be... any ideas appreciated...>

X1 Search, wow, what can I say its a great tool.

Scott Worley — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 08:37:00 GMT

Just had to mention that whilst I have been skulking around various blogs, I kept finding references to X1. Now X1 is a very functional desktop search engine. and all I can say is that I AM BLOWN AWAY BY HOW SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE THIS TOOL IS.

If you have not seen it yet, go give the download a trial, I am on day 2 of using it, and already it is part of my daily toolset.

X1 can be found at: http://www.x1.com

VS 2005 Team System supports a new AGILE MSF?

Scott Worley — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 04:21:00 GMT

Well I know this is old news, but I have been updating my MSF knowledge from version 3 to the newer version 4, and some nice changes have been made <I will post some details later when I get a little more time...>.

A link to the overview of the MSF models supported by the new Team Services part of Visual Studio 2005 is below, I am now working on some templates for other Methodologies.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnvsent/html/vsts-msf.asp

oh yeah the TEAM SYSTEM ROCKS! great job MS.

Scott Worley

Ken Cox - MVP again... Congratz my friend.

Scott Worley — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 03:39:00 GMT

Well Ken Cox once more has his MVP title for another year, congratulations Ken, it not go to a nicer guy!

I have worked with Ken over the past few years, and I class Ken as a great, friend. Again Ken, congratz.

Oh before I forget his MVP is for ASP.NET.

-->Kens Blog is in the refer list on this site, if you get 5 mins please go check it out an say hi.

Scott Worley

Chinese, I saw Chinese, surprise is nice.

Scott Worley — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 03:30:00 GMT

I just had a very brief yet surprising online chat with Scott Hanselman, another author and all round good ASP.NET guy. And all of a sudden he starts talking in chinese <typing actually> hell I was surprised, and from what I can tell Scott's level of Chinese is good...

Scott, good luck on your book(s), and also would love to know where you learned the Chinese language, I myself am only just starting to learn. Yeah been in china 3 years, have a Chinese wife and all I talk is tech, process and english and not much else...

oh well, and cheers Scott, chat to you again in the future...

Scott Worley

Now in Shanghai, China

Scott Worley — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 03:19:00 GMT

Where am I?

I am in Shanghai, China. Love the place.

What am I doing?

Always the evangelist on Agile Process and .NET technologies, I am currently working on my relationships with MS China. Specifically MS Beijing and of course Shanghai.

I am also doing prep work for a couple of books that I am working on, not to mention playing the code and tech and evaluating far too many Beta's. Glad I dropped my day job for a while, I need the time to do this stuff

I am also making a lot of contact with local software house's, developers and system integrators to discuss how I may be able to help them utilize the technology they are working on.

Soon I will be posting a list of places I will be going to evangelize by what ever means I can.

Scott Worley,

I am working on a couple of possible new BOOKS :)

Scott Worley — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 03:09:00 GMT

Well, it had to happen, I am gong to write another book or two...

At the moment I have 2 book TOC pretty much complete and in the process of being evaulated by publishers. The first one is based purley on VS.NET 2005 team services and is more of a management and usage book, but will cover customizing the team services tempates to a couple of agile methodologues, for example XP and Scrum. The other book is based on Smart Client applications, and will involve a cover to cover application demonstrating design, architecture, development and deployment of various smart client applications and of course the backend system, UI's will be MsOffice, Pocket PC, Smart Phone and Winform. (maybe show a way to use asp.net without the web aswell, not sure yet :) since thats just for fun...)

I am looking for ideas on what people would like to see in either of these books, so go crazy and be demanding.

Also of interest is whether a series of smart client books would be better than just the one monster volume?

I also have plans for EAI/SOA architecture based book and also something on XAML and the longhorn set of dev technologies, but am still pondering, and the two above will kill more than enough of my time, and longhorn is a way of, and I personally think these titles will work better then, well maybe I could do a SOA based one now, hmmm....

Scott Worley,
Author of: Inside ASP.NET and others since then...

Developing the software industry in China.

Scott Worley — Tue, 19 Oct 2004 00:40:00 GMT

Welcome to my blog section on the China Software Industry, and the personal project that I have decided to undertake.

I have been working in a leading systems integrator in China as both a GM and an Executive officer (CTO), apart from learning a lot about how to do business in China, I have also been saddened by the lack of evangelism in the software industry (well actually most IT industries, to be honest). Take for example Shanghai (where I am based at the moment) it has the best technology abvailable in the world at very affordable prices yet the experience of using all of this technology is not here. <at least not at the same level as Europe, US, Canada, etc..>

An example of this is the mobile phone industry, now I have not been to the states or europe recently but I pressume that most people still do not have colour mobile phones with video camera and mp3 playback, in Shanghai at the moment, it is hard to find people without these devices. <which of course means sms and smartphone applications are perfect for China :)>.

Now, I have been talking to Microsoft at various levels both in and out of China about the adoption of MS .NET Development technology, and my view that it has not been marketed or presented very well. In-fact it is no secret that I slated MS China for how the Shanghai TechED2004 was run, very dissapointing.

So at the moment, I am trying to do all I can for local MS Partners, MS and independent software companies in China. At almost no cost to them, since I am doing this for the love of the industry, and to share knowledge.

I look forward to comments, good and bad about what I am attempting to do ie: Developing the Chinese Software Industry. <yes I am MS focused initially. Since MS does have very good technology these days, but my mind is never closed to the other options.>

Scott Worley

I am returning to the UK within next 2 months

Scott Worley — Mon, 18 Oct 2004 03:13:00 GMT

okay heres the deal, I am planning to go back to the UK sometime in the next 1-2 months for at least 2 weeks maybe more.

Why, oh thats simple, I miss my mother :) and whilst there I thought I might pay a few UG's, SIG's, MS Partners for open chats on technology.

As some of you know I am pretty focused in most areas of .NET server technology, ASP.NET (hence those books I wrote) and now alot of work on disconnected applications and smart clients. I am also somewhat of an Agile Process and Management Evangleist, so am more than willing to talk or assist a few people in this area also.

Any people interested let me know, and of course, I am not charging a fee :) its all for fun of it all.

For a full run down of seminars, training that I run, please send an email to: scott.worley@project-inspiration.com
or add to the comments and feedback section of this blog.

I will post a Blog entry once I have set a time for the UK trip, and what I will be doing.

<looks expectantly at his inbox...?>

Scott Worley
I Love M$ :)