Looking Back At 2005
2005 was an interesting year for me. Let’s take a quick peek.
Blogging
My blog writing took a bit of a dive in 2005. I think it has something to do with me not commuting to work (I now work from home). I used to do a lot of my blogging on the train. I suspect it also has something to do with a little writing project I attempted this year, but more about that in a minute. Here are some of the more popular and/or meaningful articles or entries I posted on my blog in 2005:
Demystifying Managed Code and Compiler Output
Mixing Native and Managed Types in C++
The Case of the Missing Generic (Parse Method)
Tools
I also published a few more freeware tools:
I’m working on a new version Window Clippings (tentatively v1.1) so if you have any feedback or suggestions please send it my way.
Articles and Writing
Beside the articles I published on my blog, I wrote a small number of articles for MSDN. Unfortunately only one actually managed to get online in 2005. The rest remain in a holding pattern so to speak in the mystery that is the MSDN processing department.
This article got published in January of 2005 although I think I wrote it quite a few months before that:
Using Visual C++ Express to Build Secure Applications
I also have an article about credential management with the .NET Framework that should be online at MSDN soon. It’s a fun article that I wrote early in 2005 so I’m really hoping it will be available soon.
The other major writing project I undertook last year was an attempt at writing my first book. As much as I love digging into a topic and writing a juicy ten thousand word article, writing a book is a whole different game entirely and I don’t think I was quite prepared for it. Needless to say, that project has been shelved for the time being.
I have another article series in the works, in a similar style to my Introduction to MSIL. I will be starting to post the “parts” of that series later this month as time allows. Stay tuned – I have a feeling you’ll enjoy it.
Friends
I also got a few inches closer to knowing some of the folks in the community this year. My MVP award also opened the door for to me meet more people in that “inner circle”. Here are a few bloggers that come to mind, some of whom I’ve had the fortune of meeting (in person) and some who I hope to meet this year:
Brandon Bray
Brian Johnson
Daniel Moth
Jason Haley
Martyn Lovell
Michael Howard
Mike Gunderloy
Ohad Israeli
Robert Hurlbut
Scott Allen
Scott Hanselman
Scott Meyers
Nishant Sivakumar
Rick Samona
Then there are regular readers like Norman who really should get a blog of his own…
And of course there are my Canadian friends Ari and Adam and my buddy Ashley from the motherland who ironically landed up on the other side of the globe. How unfortunate (for me).
Home
And then there’s home. Everything else really pales in comparison to the love I have for my wife and kids. 2005 was our first year living in Langley, BC. It’s a great place to live, but I don’t think we’ll ever get over leaving our home country.
Here’s to a great year to you all – thanks for reading.
© 2006 Kenny Kerr