Today I took up my new role as Lead Developer/Architect at Proteo.
They do a number of really interesting products; check out their website!
I have an idea of what I will be doing, but all will be revealed over the next few weeks.
Its going to be an exciting time. 2 weeks after I start there is an office move. I got to visit the new office today.
(Here are some pictures from the development floor )
This week I’m taking up a new challenge and moving to Proteo – It’s not only a job change but a relocation up to Norwich. Its a huge change and a big challenge, but its one I’m very much looking forward to.
I am leaving behind my ‘work’ family, all the people I have known over the last 6 years, people I have spent 45 hours week with, through thick and thin, good times and incredibly stressful times. But now with the *unsocial media of Facebook and twitter I can still badger them and try to get them to go to the Southampton SQL Server User Group or the Southampton NxtGen user group.
I would like the thank my close work family (the Guys and Girls in Eastleigh) but also the cousins in Manchester and Stoke. I will miss everyone of you!
I am also temporary leaving behind Zara, Tabitha and Matilda – but not for long, they will be following me up very very soon.
Mark
*How social can social networking be, when you do it on your own? Doesn’t that defeat the point of being social?
And Finally in the words of Peter Cook & Dudley Moore…
Goodbye… (YouTube)
“Goodbye, we wish a fond goodbye, fa-ta-ta-ta-ta, fa-ta-ta-ta”
Full Lyrics here (search for goodbye)
I’ve just got back from SQL Saturday #162 Cambridge and two people have asked me “What do you get out of it?”
Two things struck me;
a) How difficult it was to come up with something tangible (there are plenty of intangible reasons) – I got a helper shirt.
b) The phasing of the question, the expectation of ‘getting something’.
So why do I do it? Why get involved?
BECAUSE I CAN and because I enjoy it. I enjoy the satisfaction of putting on a good event, I get a kick from knowing I was part of a team that made stuff happen.
So it’s not about what you get out of it; it’s about what you put into it that matters.
Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Go and Do Something Less Boring Instead?
Go to a local User Group? Go to a SQL Saturday ? Go to SQLBits ?
Get involved!! The intangible benefits are huge…but that’s another blog post.
MPM (@tsqltidy)
Today I found out what a great prizes are being offered at SQL Relay..
If you come along to one of the local events (running between 3rd to 5th October: In Birmingham, Manchester, Farnham, Kent, Bristol, London, Hatfield, Leeds, Southampton, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Exeter, Cambridge, Essex and Maidenhead)
Not only will you have the chance to go home with one of the following prizes.
But you will also be entered in a draw for the following prizes;
Its an amazing list of prizes!
The SQL Relay ‘Finishing line’ event on the 6th of October where Itzik Ben-Gan will be speaking is very close to being fully booked!
So register now before its too late!
A big thank-you goes out to all the companies that have sponsored the SQL Relay.
The SQL Relay events are booking up fast; over 239 people have registered so far.
So register as soon as possible to avoid disappointment!!
If you know you can’t make it, unregister – it will mean someone else can go in your place.
The London (finish line) Event is 70% booked already!
SQL Relay is part of the National SQL Server Week, which starts with SQLBits on the 29th of September and finishing with Itzik Ben-Gan presenting at the finishing line event.
For details of the SQL Relay visit http://www.sqlserverfaq.com
SQLBits + SQLRelay = National SQL Server Week
What do Essex, Cambridge and Maidenhead all have in common?
Yes – you guessed it!
They all have new SQL User Groups (UG) and they are all joining in the SQL Relay! A Four day SQL-a-thon, a series of events culminating in Itzik Ben-Gan (SQL Server Author and MVP, Co-Founder of SolidQ) presenting at Microsoft’s London HQ, Cardinal Place on the 6th October.
Check out the SQLServerFAQ site for details of your nearest community event.
In my previous post on writing a SSMS Add-in for Denali I detailed the steps that you would need to take to get the Add-in loaded and running but it didn’t do a great deal.
Now we take it a step further. But not too far(!)
I’ve done a number of things;
1) As we all know, SSMS Add-in’s only work because of a deep dark magic, but there are a few ways we can peek inside to see what’s happening.
The DTE object we get during the OnConnection method has a class full of events – so lets hook them up and see what happens.
EnvDTE.TextDocument doc = (EnvDTE.TextDocument)ServiceCache.ExtensibilityModel.Application.ActiveDocument.Object(null);
Returns a TextDocument object from which you can get the contents of the window (SQL).
3) Just like previous versions add-ins, you use the same code to pick up Object Explorer events.
1: objExplorerService = (ObjectExplorerService)ServiceCache.ServiceProvider.GetService(typeof(IObjectExplorerService));
2: cs = (ContextService)objExplorerService.Container.Components[0];3: cs.ObjectExplorerContext.CurrentContextChanged += new NodesChangedEventHandler(ObjectExplorerContext_CurrentContextChanged);
Download the source from codeplex, check it out, play with it, check it in!
You wait ages for a User Group, then a whole load turn up all at once!!
Between the 3rd and 6th of October, up and down the UK the SQL community is coming together; this phenomena is known as “SQL Relay”.
Events are happening in (deep breath): Birmingham, Manchester, Farnham, Kent, Bristol, London, Hatfield, Leeds, Southampton, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Exeter, Cambridge,Essex and Maidenhead.. {and a partridge in a pear tree}.
3 Countries, 4 Days, 16 Events.
So if you have never been to a User Group or go all the time, have only just heard about SQL or are waiting for Denali to hit the streets – get along to one of the SQL Relay events.
[Updated 7/9/2010] Itzik Ben-Gan (SQL Server Author and MVP, Co-Founder of SolidQ) will be presenting at Microsoft’s London HQ, Cardinal Place on the 6th October.
And all this right after SQLBits 9 in Liverpool - 3 days of top SQL Server content given by SQL Server Experts from around the world, including Microsoft Certified Architects (MCA), Microsoft Certified Masters (MCM) and Microsoft Most Valued Professionals (MVP). If you have not already registered, then you better hurry!