sholsinger.com

Stagnation occurs - in my opinion - when you no longer have the energy to continue learning something new at least every day. Unfortunately with projects like my home renovations and the contract with Tobyhanna Army Depot I am unable to devote as much time as I’d like to my own knowledge development. However, I find plenty of time to share the knowledge I have already acquired with colleagues at the job site.

I am learning plenty of things about ASP.NET that I hadn’t known before. But I’m learning on the .NET Framework version 2.0. And here, Microsoft has already begun working on .NET version 4.0. How is a guy to keep up? Microsoft’s pace is certainly not a fault, however, I’ve noticed that many “Microsofties” spend so much time keeping up with the most recent Microsoft technologies that they have no idea how to use CSS. Or… anything else for that matter.

I don’t fault those people for these things. I do however, blame Microsoft at least a little bit. The problem is that Microsoft is enabling them to put the blinders on while Microsoft handles the heavy lifting. Microsoft provides themes, GUIs, and other tools to reduce the amount of actual code that a developer needs to be concerned with.

I consider myself a different breed, though. I am one of those .NET developers that rarely uses “Design Mode.” Design Mode in my opinion is sacriligous. I need to be able to see everything that is going on. I live in the source. If I can’t understand what is actually going on behind the scenes then I’m not learning. I’m not expanding my thoughts. If I were to just settle for using the same old Microsoft provided controls, and the same old Microsoft provided interfaces, then I’d be like one of those zombies in the Matrix. I’ve got the lining pulled over my eyes. They’re spoon feeding me my regulated dietary requirements. My wings will never be spread, my legs never stretched, my eyes never to see.

So I’m glad I have a somewhat different perspective. So maybe I’m not a Microsoft MVP - yet - but I am damn good at figuring out how and why things work. Then by transferring that knowledge, I help improve everyone’s condition.

And with that… I’m out. It is about 23:23 and I’m already awake 2 hours and 23 minutes past my bed time.

Work .NET, ASP.NET, development, GUI, knowledge, learning, Microsoft, skills, technique

As of the 15th of October, my family and I are the proud “owners” of our very own rent-to-own home. Photos and recaps of various interesting design decisions that were uncovered during the renovations will be forthcoming. For now, feast on the simple joys of reading my description of the house and how we got here.

My thoughts regarding the whole rent-to-own thing versus the idea of a mortgage is fairly simple. I have no need for a mortgage. My current rent-to-own situation is similar to a mortgage in that we’ve factored in “interest” at a 10-year term. I do not want a mortgage because I know that having one would simply allow me to think I have “equity” which is like a virtual stake in my own home. I’m certain that I’d be tempted to use the equity in the home at some point. Since I don’t have my name on it at this point, I can’t actually do that. The situation keeps me from getting into the situation that many American mortgagees are in right now. Read more…

Family, Home bank, Home, interest, invest, mortgage, remodeling, renovate