Hey CT,

You've changed your tune somewhat? You were really taking pot-shots at Kevin a few weeks ago with some very terse, "Dear Sir" messages in which you complained loudly about support, response times and documentation riddled with errors?

You're one tough customer.


>The Mere Mortals .NET Framework has enabled me to do the following:
>
>1. Pass the 70-305 exam with ease ... after working with the framework for less than a month I had traced through enough C# code to pass the VB side of the test easily ... the languages really aren't that different. I think C# is taking off simply because of the aura that C++ gives off. C# allows many developers to become fluent with a new language with a similar name that does not require the care and feeding that the previous version required. So, if any of you want to know which language you should learn ... C# ... why ... you want the erethral glow of the ignorant (the ignorant that have the money to pay you your check) shining upon you. I chose VB because I'm much more comfortable with the syntax and ... I'm not looking for a new job. The truth ... the challenge is not the language ... it's mastering a bloated framework provided by MS. Bloating should not surprise you either ... it's pretty standard for that company.
>
>2. Implement a website for a buddy in a two month period of time ... and in the process make $7,500. I would not have been able to master the technology enough to make this website happen if Kevin hadn't insulated me from the gory mass of details that is available via the .NET Framework.
>
>3. Implement that website in a language/technology that I barely knew. How you ask? With detailed documentation that comes with the framework via it's help files (which you can freely download). Are there problems with the help files? Yes. Did I spend hours banging my head on the desk trying to figure out what was going on? Yes, again. But when all hope was lost where did I turn? Here. Who answered the questions? The man who wrote it and his faithful minions.
>
>So, is there a need for a framework for a framework? Yes there is ... there shouldn't be ... but then again ... that is another MS shortcoming that Kevin thankfully corrected.
>
>In the past I used Codebook, a framework that was released when VFP made it's leap from 2.6 into the object oriented world. Today, I'll use MM.NET to help me make do the same.
>
>Finally, this post would not be complete without spouting the significant benefits of another product that I've come across ... a book called "Real World ASP.NET Best Practices" by Farhan Muhammad and Matt Milner ... ISBN 1-59059-100-3: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1590591003/qid%3D1112476793/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/103-6737345-0402257?v=glance. Those of you who are used to reading 1000 pages books about ASP.NET alone should not be disappointed by its relatively small size (200 pages). The content is dense and every chapter contains a revelation about the things you really need to know. Here is an excerpt from the Introduction. Basically is spells out that there is a boatload of knowledge out there in those 1000 page books but precious few tidbits of wisdom.
>
>

>We have been using the ASP.NET framework actively since its early infancy
>(more than a year before official release) to program business solutions for cor-
>porate America.  Just like most people, we started by purchasing a bunch of books
>and tried to use them to absorb as much knowledge as we possibly could.
>It didn't take too long for us to realize that none of those books gave us what we
>really needed.  What we really needed was wisdom (not knowledge) on how to
>use the framework properly-what to do, what not to do, why things are the way
>they are, and why ASP.NET is not the best thing since sliced bread.
>
>Knowledge is overrated.  It can even be a plague, the kind that can eat your
>skills from the inside.  A wise man once said, don't give me the knowledge of
>a hundred tools to do then things; instead, show me ten ways to do a hundred
>things better.
>
>The point we are trying to make is this:  It is of higher importance for all of us
>to learn to use our tools appropriately, by leveraging other people's wisdom.  The
>depth of the knowledge will come in time. What we all need currently is to focus
>on not making rookie mistakes.  There is no shame in failure.  We are not against failure.
>In fact, we acquire most of our wisdom by making mistakes and later
>rectifying those mistakes.  However, while we work for other individuals or
>corporations, it is our responsibility to make fewer mistakes by learning from
>other people's experiences.
>
>
>

>Sincerely,
>
>Charles T. Blankenship
>"The man no longer in credit card debit because of The Mere Mortals Framework".