Hello, Microsoft
Starting later this month, I’m going to be working for Microsoft – I just accepted a job on the Web Platform and Tools (WPT) team in the Developer Division. This is pretty exciting for me, as it means I’ll be able to directly focus my energy on pushing the MS web stack forwards, and will get to work with many of the very smart people who bring you technologies like ASP.NET and IIS.
In case I need to drop some names to clarify where I fit in, I’ll be somewhere many levels of management below ScottGu, and on the same team as Scott Hanselman.
Why do this?
I’m a web developer, so of course I’m personally motivated to make web development better! We all want our technologies to help us be more productive, solve bigger problems, and let us have more fun in the process, right? For someone who’s focused on the MS web stack for the last 7 years, where better to participate in the evolution of web development than inside Microsoft itself?
Well, that’s the big picture. On a more practical, immediate level I’m also keen to get involved with Developer Division’s leaning towards supporting open source development (e.g., notice that the NuGet project even accepts code contributions) and in advocating professional-grade development practices, whether they originate inside Microsoft or inside developer communities using any other technology platform.
A key part of WPT’s responsibility is to be aware of what developers want, and be sure we’re meeting your needs. As I find out what specific projects I’ll focus on, I’ll be asking for your feedback so I can reflect your views back into the collective product teams.
What changes, and what remains
- This blog: It’s still mine and will continue.
- Open source projects: The one I’m most actively working on is Knockout, an MVVM library for creating dynamic Web UIs. I’m still excited about this project and its potential, and it continues exactly as-is, and will evolve in whatever direction I and its user community wishes to take it. This *isn’t *a Microsoft product.
- The Apress ASP.NET MVC book series: I’m discussing this with Apress at the moment. Hopefully we’ll get the excellent Adam Freeman to co-author the MVC 3 book, otherwise it might end up being very, very late… Thanks for all the enquiries about this – and no, we don’t have a publishing schedule yet.
- Being an MVP: Shockingly, I’ll be dismissed from the MVP program, before I even got to go to my first MVP summit. Apparently this has happened to others before.
- My location: I’ll be staying in the UK.