Reading an article from eWeek "Programmers to Blame for Hard-to-Use Software" I ask myself is that really programmers that we should blame? Look at cell phone or even TV-set users. Aren't they suffering from the same problems? Bjarne Stroustrup was one of the first to notice this:

"I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my telephone. My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my telephone."

So, is the problem in cell phones or TV-sets manufacturers and designers? No! The problem is in the market that demands new products with new features. It does not matter whether the feature is useful or not. You just have to have them more than competitor has.

So, again, think twice before adding new "feature" to your product. Maybe it would be better to make existing functions more useful and usable?

I delivered 2 presentations. One about AJAX in general and Microsoft's implementation of AJAX for ASP.NET in particular. In second presentation I've done brief overview of Windows Presentation Foundation technology. Both presentations are in Russian. ASP.NET AJAX Overview Presentation (PDF)

Windows Presentation Foundation Overview Presentation (PDF)

This presentation was delivered several times as an add-on to Microsoft Official Curriculum course 1846 "Microsoft Solutions Framework Essentials". It covers new ideas behind 4th version of MSFand they can be used to improve outputs from software development processes. MSF v.4 Innovations Presentation (PDF)

This presentation was delivered on October 27, 2005, by my collegue Vladimir Pavlov and I on the first Software Engineering Conference (Russia) in Moscow. Extending SPEM For Distributed Software Development Projects (PDF)

This presentation was delivered on October 26, 2005, as a part of CMMI-P-SPEM experiment on the first Software Engineering Conference (Russia) in Moscow. Introduction to SPEM (PDF)

At this event I delivered 2 talks. First one was concerned with ASP.NET application security and was based on series of demos of vulnerabilities and possible solutions for this problems. Another presentation described ideas behind major architecture change in ASP.NET 2.0 - Provider Model. An examples of extensibility that was made possible by new model were also given. This presentation is in Russian. Provider Model Presentation (PDF)

Quick review of new capabilities of Visual Basic.NET 2005, published in "Chip" magazine. If you are still using Visual Basic 6 and think, where to move further, this article will show you one of possible ways. Intro to Visual Basic.NET 2005 Express Edition (in Russian)

As part of this event I delivered 2 presentations. One of them was devoted to developing mobile solutions using Microsoft mobile platforms: Windows XP Embeded, Windows Mobile and Tablet PC. Another presentation given overview of brand new Microsoft product for developers: Microsoft Visual Team System. The presentation describes the product itself as well as foundation behind innovations in this tool. Both presentations are in Russian. Mobile Development Presentation (PDF)

Team System Presentation (PDF)

This paper was presented and discussed at on the Third Nordic Conference of Pattern Languages of Programs (Viking PLoP 2004) in Uppsala (Sweden). Mining MSF for Process Patterns: a SPEM-based Approach (PDF)

Mining MSF for Process Patterns: a SPEM-based Approach (DOC)

This presentation was delivered on March 04, 2004, in the Moscow State University on the conference 'Microsoft Technologies in Computer Science and Software Engineering'. This was the first presentation of results of research aimed to "extract" process patterns from Microsoft Solutions Framework and describe them as separate entities. This allows to use them outside of MSF-based processes and facilitates process improvement by using MSF experience.

MSF-based Process Patterns (abstract, in Russian)

MSF-based Process Patterns (abstract, in Ukrainian)

MSF-based Process Patterns (PDF)