Wiki and Blog in WSS 3.0!

This video shows how to use WSS to create a Wiki web or a blog. WSS also supports RSS. Very cool.

Meeting-driven development

Excellent article about meetings.

Standalone Wiki

I should try this: http://www.tiddlywiki.com/

DBCC MEMORYSTATUS

Whenever you suspect memory problems in SQL Server 2000 use DBCC MEMORYSTATUS. Here is the KB article about how to interpret results.

TDD vs RAD

I think the incompatibility between TDD and RAD is artificial. RAD is very useful for interfacng the external systems, like databases, web services and the user (UI is also the part of the external interface). TDD is very useful for developing business logic.

First thing to do when the execution plan changes

I need to run for every database:

EXEC sp_MSforeachtable "DBCC DBREINDEX ('?')"
EXEC sp_MSforeachtable 'UPDATE STATISTICS ? WITH FULLSCAN'

So why does SQL server change execution plan?

Well, some hypotheses:

1. SQL Server has artificial intelligence built in and wants to annoy the developers and DBAs by randomly changing execution plans for the query to make it slow and have developers and DBAs spend extra hours trying to optimize it.
2. SQL Server has artificial intelligence built in and has a bias toward SQL Server performance ocnsulting. Since the rates dropped somewhat it decided it will torture full-time employees until they will hire a consultant with a decent rate.
3. This behaviour was a part of SP4 and was designed to annoy developers and DBAs so they will upgrade to SQL Server 2005 as soon as possible, thus generating much-needed revenue for Microsoft.
   

Why does SQL server always change execution plan?

I just don't get it why does SQL server always changes execution plan.

I run

EXEC sp_MSforeachtable 'UPDATE STATISTICS ? WITH FULLSCAN'

and still cannot get the same execution plan as the last time. I don't think any data were changed since a few weeks ago. And why does the SQL server all the sudden start usign hash or merge joins and try to use parallelism? I worked a couple of days ago to optimize the query and I've got it down to 71 milliseconds. Today it is back to 600 ms. Is the solution to use the real database, for example Oracle?

Maybe I start coding in Ruby?

http://thinkchiro.com/ -

buildix

Buildix : this is so cool! Now set up an agile project in no time!

Evil empire...

Just found in my code:
using System.Globalization;
I did not know we are using evil system of globalization. Gess what, the globalists are sitting in the ambush in all unlikely places...

Architecture Journal useless?

I found Microsoft Architecture Journal utterly useless for containing lengthy articles with only general statements and no strategic vision.

Can't spend 25 hours a week blogging?

Steve Rubel spends 21-25 hours a week blogging while also having a full time job as senior VP at Edelman. I realize I am just too lazy.

Why?

Now why does my company block http://www.bbc.co.uk?

Thinking about getting fired

Not really, but in case I start thinking I can use this advise.

60% of Windows rewritten!

Microsoft will rewrite 60% of Windows according to this article.
Ouch! That hurts!

Luck-driven development

I found a term "opportunistic development" (Research Directions of Microsoft, November 2005) referring to writing a VB program in debugger and tweaking it to get desired results. This was referred to as Programming by Accident by the Pragmatic Programmers. But in line with XYZ-Driven Development pattern I decided to introduce a new term: Luck-Driven Development (LDD).

I thought they were serious?

http://www.waterfall2006.com/

Nice article about test-driven development

http://www.darrenhobbs.com/archives/2006/01/agile_answers.html

FreeMind

Mind Mapping (a.k.a. Thought Mapping) is such a great idea. I only started using it, perhaps, because I am backwards. I am using FreeMind, and it seems to be an OK tool, but I have not figured out yet how do I print from that tool.