Welcome to Developer Central version 2!

• By Mike Gunderloy
• December 6, 2004

Most of the folks reading this page will be familiar with Developer Central from its previous incarnation - but a few won't. So let me explain. Developer Cetnral started life as an e-mail newsletter a bit over three years ago. The initial mailing list was built up from MCP Magazine's, giving it a strong Microsoft flavor. Since then, MCP Magazine has become Redmond Magazine, and Developer Central has moved here, to ADT (both Redmond and ADT are published by 101communications, so that's not as much of a move as it might seem at first.

Recently we made the decision to stop putting out Developer Central as an e-mailer and to move it to a blog format. This offers a few new opportunities. For example, I can include hyperlinks and graphics now. I can also respond to news more quickly, and I can have as much room as I like for my content. Each blog posting will also have an associated comments section, and you're invited to (I'd use a stronger word, but begging online is so pathetic) post your own thoughts. I'm hoping we can build up a dynamic reader community here.

You'll see pretty much the same content here as in the e-mail newsletter, at least to start. Product reviews (based on hands-on trials of the product) and product briefings (based on interviews and press briefings) will show up several times a week. For the first week or two, you'll recognize some of that content from the newsletter, as I archive the final reviews that went out to the e-mail list, but be patient: new stuff is coming soon. There will also be computer book reviews, commentary on industry developments, ranting and raving when something sets me off, and who knows what else.

If you know of a product that you think needs to be covered here, drop me a line. That goes whether you're the vendor of the product or just a happy (or not-so-happy) user. I welcome any other coverage suggestions as well.

Finally, a few words about me. I've been involved with computers for more than a quarter century now, and have been earning my living writing software and books about software since the early 1990s. My own backgrouns is largely with Microsoft products, and bits of my code are in a few you may have used, thanks to a few stints as a Microsoft subcontractor. I've written a batch of books in the field; the most recent is Coder to Developer. If you're really interested and don't mind looking at Microsoft Word files, you can download my CV for a long list of book and article titles.

I'm looking forward to exploring the new format, and hope you're looking forward to coming along with me!