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: Blog, Humor

Reboot

OK, let's try this again...

When I started this blog three years ago, I was working on my first significant ASP.NET project and I wanted a place to record and share all the new stuff I was learning. Since then, the whole world (including hundreds of Microsoft employees) has started .NET blogs, and I've changed jobs so that I no longer write code every day.

I considered shutting the place down, or simply letting it languish as Google-fodder. But three factors have inspired me to resume blogging:

• According to FeedBurner, at least 150 people subscribe to this feed, so I guess I’m not just talking to myself;
• The site is a great way to build and maintain my personal brand. I’m the #1 “Phil Weber” on the major search engines, and I’d like to stay that way; and,
• I actually have some things to say!

So, today is the first day of the rest of my blog. The focus will change somewhat — I’m now a trainer, so I’ll write about the lessons I’m learning in that new role — but I still have several .NET articles bouncing around my head, so watch for them. To those of you who haven’t pruned me from your blogroll, thanks for your loyalty. Tell a friend!

 25 Dec 05 5:26 PM · Comments (1) · Tags: Blog

Spam Filters

I'll never forget my first e-mail address. Back in 1986, I signed up for a CompuServe account; my address was 72451,3401. Several years later, I opened an account with a "real" ISP and started using my new e-mail address in newsgroups and on my Web site. It was then that I was introduced to the scourge of spam.

Three years ago, when I registered the philweber.com and philweber.net domains, I thought, "Here's my chance to retire an address that's on every spammer's list and get a fresh start!" I informed my friends and family of the new address and scrupulously avoided using it anywhere it might be seen by spammers. Or so I thought.

Then the spam starting trickling in. How had they found me? Turns out I had used my new address to register my domains! D'oh!

Rather than change addresses again, I began using spam-filtering tools, starting with Qurb, a PC Magazine Editor's Choice. Qurb works well enough, but it integrates with your e-mail client; if you check your mail on the Web or with a mobile device, you're out of luck.

To address this limitation, I've been using a server-side spam-filtering service, MailSift. I simply set my POP3 server to forward all messages to MailSift, then point my e-mail software at MailSift's server to retrieve my messages. (MailSift can also poll your mailbox if your ISP doesn't support forwarding.) The service works great, and at $2/month it's quite affordable. (My current stats reveal that since I signed up two months ago, I've received 767 spam messages, but only 247 legitimate e-mails.)

Another annoyance with which I've been dealing recently is comment spam. If you host a blog on Movable Type 2.x, I recommend MT Blacklist, a donationware plugin that blocks comment spam by comparing the commenter's URL against a list of regular expressions. It can also despam your comments if one of those parasites slips through your defenses.

  7 Dec 04 12:44 AM · Comments (1) · Tags: Blog, Software

Betsy Aoki Fan Club

Scoble asks: What do you like/hate about Microsoft blogs?

Well, frankly, it is a bit of information overload. It's a full-time job just to keep up with blogs.msdn.com, and I have to wade through a lot of BizTalk/C++/Exchange/Windows Mobile stuff that's really not relevant to me. And what's the deal with this guy? ;-)

Occasionally, however, sifting through all that chatter pays off: I discover an unsung blogger who speaks to my soul, one whom I may never have found otherwise. Betsy Aoki is such a blogger; I find her (too infrequent) posts a perfect combination of smart, funny and quirky that never fails to bring a smile to my face. (Don't worry, Betsy: I'm happily married and I live 200 miles away, so you're not likely to find me lurking in the bushes outside your home or office. I'm content to eStalk™ you via RSS.)

I hereby propose the formation of a Betsy Aoki Fan Club; to join, post a comment. Live it vivid! :-)

  8 Jul 04 12:06 PM · Comments (5) · Tags: Blog, Microsoft

Department of Redundancy Department

I first learned of the release of Visual Studio 2005 Beta 1, as well as Express Editions and the MSDN Feedback Center, shortly after midnight this morning. Since then, I've seen it reported by dozens of bloggers, and the day is young. ('We blog more by 8 a.m. than most people do all day.') If you're a .NET blogger and you haven't yet written about today's new releases, please don't!

What is the thought process that leads one to blog about an event of this magnitude? 'If I don't blog this, nobody will hear about it!' Or perhaps, 'Ooh, if I hurry and blog this, I'll be the first, and I'll get lots of links and notoriety!' Please.

Before you post (not just today, every day), I urge you to peruse the home page at weblogs.asp.net or do a search at Technorati. If you don't have anything to say that hasn't already been said several times, do us all a favor and step away from the keyboard. Thank you.

 29 Jun 04 8:31 AM · Comments (7) · Tags: .NET, Blog, Rants

Back to Blogging

Heather Hamilton wonders why bloggers keep falling off. I can't speak for everyone, but here's my story...

When I went dark last August, I was in the final throes of a death-march project, one of those that seems like a good idea at the time, but ends up going on far longer than anyone anticipated. It was my first experiment with an "agile" methodology, but I obviously did it wrong ('An agile methodology is neither agile nor a methodology. Discuss.') Bottom line: I spent my last couple of months there working overtime to finish the project and trying (unsuccessfully, as it turned out) save my job; I was laid off in October.

Thankfully, I was able to land a consulting gig within a month: I worked on a medical transcription app for a large healthcare provider. Like resuming dating after a divorce, it was reassuring to have a client who liked me and my work ('I am still attractive!') It was, however, the first time in over four years that I had to actually go to work -- I'd been working from home since early 1999 -- so by the time I got home in the evening, blogging was the last thing I felt like doing.

About the time that project was ending, I was offered what seemed like my dream job: developer evangelist for a consulting firm/component vendor. I would be paid to promote the company's products and services among the .NET developer community by writing technical articles, speaking to user groups and participating in online discussions; blogging was actually in my job description! Unfortunately, after only four months my employer decided he couldn't actually afford a developer evangelist, and my position was eliminated.

Thankfully (again), I've landed a new job; I'm scheduled to start in mid-July, after my vacation. This time, I've made sure it's with a financially stable company and that the position capitalizes on my strengths, so hopefully I can remain employed for at least a year this time.

So, Heather, I hope that answers your question. ;-)

 23 Jun 04 6:00 PM · Comments (0) · Tags: Blog, Career

Happy Anniversary!

Wake the kids and phone the neighbors: philweber.net is one year old! To celebrate, I'm re-launching with new software, a new host, and a new design. (What do you think of the way my comments work? I couldn't decide between popup and inline comments, so I've done both (or neither.)) Anyway, a lot has happened these past four months, so there's plenty to talk about!

 10 Jan 04 11:10 PM · Comments (3) · Tags: Blog