Wanted: Programming Topics for High School Students

Several co-workers and I have volunteered to present lunch-hour sessions for Advanced Placement computer science students at a local high school. Mine is on January 30 and I need to choose a topic. Games and gadgets would probably go over well; maybe something about how chicks dig geeks? :-)

Seriously, if you have any ideas, please share them!

  5 Jan 06 9:54 PM · Comments (1) · Tags: Programming

Contest Update

It’s been three days since I announced my Visual Studio Team Suite / MSDN Premium giveaway. Since then, I’ve noticed that several other MVPs are planning similar giveaways. Come back often (or subscribe); I’ll alert you to any additional contests I discover.

I’ve received 67 comments so far and I have to say, I’m a little disappointed. The majority of comments say, essentially, “I really want it but I can’t afford it.” Come on, people! This isn’t a raffle; you need to give us a reason to choose you over someone else. A few have resorted to threats (“Choose me or else I’ll use Java/Linux”), promises (“Choose me and I promise to learn how to use it”), or pity (“Choose me or my children will starve.”) I was hoping to hear, “I work for this charity/non-profit” (I did get a couple of those) and/or, “I could really use these specific features of VSTS...”

There have been a few standouts: Aidan is working on an innovative Web project that deserves some attention. And I enjoyed Adam Wright’s poem. No promises, guys, but you made a favorable impression.

FYI, if you want the software because you’re a starving student or running a startup, Microsoft offers significant discounts to both academic institutions and software companies. If you don’t score a free copy from an MVP, you should check those out.

Update: Patrick Santry, owner of WWWCoder.com, is giving away several VSTS/MSDN licenses.

Update 2: XML guru Oleg Tkachenko has licenses to give away and is looking for ideas.

  5 Jan 06 9:20 PM · Comments (5) · Tags: Programming

Contest: Win Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite with MSDN Premium Subscription

Microsoft has generously given me (and, presumably, other MVPs) a few licenses to Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite with MSDN Premium Subscription “to share with other individuals of [my] choosing in the community.” Now, I’m under no delusion that this is sheer altruism on Microsoft’s part; I’m sure they want to drive adoption of VSTS (and I want more readers!) Regardless of the motives involved, however, I have cool software to give away, and that’s where you come in.

In the comments to this post, tell me in 100 words or less why you should receive one of these licenses. I’ll keep the comments open until January 31, at which time a panel of judges (to be determined) will select a winner.

So, make us laugh, make us cry, give us goosebumps. Convince us that you deserve a free copy of this $10,000 software package (and in case you don’t win, start sucking up to other developer MVPs you know!)

  2 Jan 06 10:02 PM · Comments (108) · Tags: Programming

Funny Story of the Week

Bala suggests that I add a “Funny Story of the Week” category in order to boost readership. I don’t know if I can come up with a funny story every week, but I have created a Humor category; here’s this week’s entry:

Not long ago, we had a “Bring Your Child to Work” day at my office, and we had a barbecue for the kids. I was eating at a table with some boys, so we started telling kids’ jokes. At one point I asked, “What's round and white and lifts weights?” (Correct answer: Extra-strength aspirin.) One of the boys looked at me and answered, “You!”

  2 Jan 06 8:11 PM · Comments (0) · Tags: Blogging, Humor