I'm going to be heading up to Olympia and Redmond next week to do a couple MSDN events. If you live anywhere near either of these two areas (like Indonesia or the Ukraine, for example), then you should think about dropping in.

The presentation will be on:

- InfoPath and managed code (yes: InfoPath is actually pretty cool)

- Building custom (server) controls with ASP.NET

- An overview of ASP.NET 2.0

The ASP.NET 2.0 stuff is a lot of fun. I create a web site from start to finish using a few of the coolest new ASP.NET 2.0 bits and pieces. If you've wanted to see Master Pages, the provider model, and other nifty things in action, then this alone ought to be worth your time.

I also really dig the InfoPath segment. It's not terribly deep, but it's a nice little introduction to a tool that I wish I had known about back in my contracting days.

The schedule (click on links for event details)

- 09/14/2004: Olympia, WA

- 09/16/2004: Redmond, WA

I'm also going to be spending all of Wednesday in Redmond, so if you want to hang out, then drop me a line. I have to head to campus to get my Smart Card activated so that the SECURITY ROBOT DROIDS at the Portland MS office don't try to dismember me with their SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE LASERS when I walk in the door with my non-active card. There were several piles of smoldering ash in the lobby last time I went, and I don't want to become one of them.

After Blog Mint [?] :

An excellent rant from Peter on geeks who insist on doing things the hard way.

A couple excerpts to get you going (emphasis in last paragraph is mine):

Let me put it simply: if you're editing a file that contains structured data by hand, you're making a mistake. You're editing the Info.plist in a Macintosh application bundle by hand using vi? You're making a mistake. Editing your DNS/BIND zone info files by hand? You're making a mistake. Creating RSS feeds by hand? You're making a mistake.

...

There is no other side to this coin: if you reject superior tools because of some misplaced Slashdot-begotten "artisan" ethos, you are saying that you think it is more important to work on boring, stupid problems that other people have already solved than it is to work on something important.