I often get asked by other developers at work or during presentations about various tools that I use.  Most of the tools I use are relatively well known, but I'm going to create this post so that I have a single point where you can download everything without a bunch of Googling.  Almost all of the tools on this list are free.  My only disclaimer is that this is simply my personal list of the tools I use most often.  If you're looking for a real list that is extremely comprehensive, then I reco...

In a previous post [http://geekswithblogs.net/michelotti/archive/2008/11/22/approach-for-learning-new-technologies.aspx] , I discussed how to identify the technologies you want to learn and come up with a personal learning road map, so to speak.  But when it comes time to dive into one specific technology, how do you go about learning something new?  In fact, I almost always ask that question during developer interviews.  The most disappointing answer I get to that question is, "well, I will Goo...

How do you stay up on new technologies?  How do you approach learning a specific new technology?  The first thing you have to accept is that the Microsoft technology stack has gotten so vast that it is simply impossible for a single person to be an expert in everything.  This is the most important aspect to remember. This post is simply to describe my personal approach for staying up on new technologies in the hopes that other people will find something valuable in this to add to their toolbox....

The code samples from my recent presentation at the Maryland CMAP code camp can be downloaded here: N-Tiered LINQ to SQL [http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ProjectName=michelotti&ReleaseId=938] MVC and Unit Testing [http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ProjectName=michelotti&ReleaseId=1634]...

This Tuesday I'll be giving a presentation on ASP.NET MVC and Unit Testing at the CMAP main meeting: http://www.cmap-online.org/Meetings/Details/2008-10-07.aspx....