Channel 9 - Discussions by Andrew Webber FX

Coffeehouse - MSIL & Disassemblers

Andrew Webber FX — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:55:59 GMT

To answer the question once you have access to the box you cannot prevent anyone from dissasembling your code, especially if you use a runtime from the CRT to the .NET framework which is almost all of windows and windows based programs not to mention mac or linux. Just ask any developer who uses windbg i remember finding a bug in ATL by steping through that glorious product only to ponder afterwards at the fact that if its in memory its crackable. [detours is your friend]

Therefore if you really want securty try the server client model with RSA. This allows you to execute your really important code on another machine. If you clean up nice no one will ever know what gets executed on the server.
[now where did i leave that server room backup master key...]

Coffeehouse - New UK Anit-Ageism Law

Andrew Webber FX — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 04:40:23 GMT

Is it a good thing? http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/discrimination/age-discrimination/index.html

Does this mean the end to the stereotypical 'Architect' positional requirements of 5-10 years enterprise experience or programmers with 3 years .NET experiance (could be deemed discriminatory)

At the risk of sounding non PC I really enjoy safety and experience of working with 'old-timers' , the knowledge transferred is invaluable; especially in large healthcare projects where young guns think a project will automatically become a success if they use .NET 3.0 because it's cool.

Tech Off - Mix VB.NET & C# not possible?

Andrew Webber FX — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 04:26:37 GMT

csc.exe /t:module and al.exe are your friends

Coffeehouse - Why Microsoft can't compete with Apple

Andrew Webber FX — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 01:48:59 GMT

alwaysmc2 wrote:

Andrew Webber FX wrote: When you can rent DVDs over Xbox Live what else would you need from Apple.

Well, not with Xbox Live, but you can rent movies from Cinaview (or whatever they are called), throught WMP 10, and then play it on an Xbox 360.

But honestly, while I have wanted to try renting a movie online, I have never really gotten around to it...

Yes you can do it with WMP10\11 but no one wants a server box in there living room, hence hinting at the xbox as being the primary device to beat Apple.

Notice Apple took a different approch than putting a G4 in your living room.

Coffeehouse - Why Microsoft can't compete with Apple

Andrew Webber FX — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 00:13:14 GMT

When you can rent DVDs over Xbox Live what else would you need from Apple.

Coffeehouse - PS3 is not better!

Andrew Webber FX — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 14:15:16 GMT

API confirms no support for DX10

How can this sustain superiority in your opinion

Coffeehouse - Open letter from Jim Alchin and a question

Andrew Webber FX — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 13:59:28 GMT

I would just like to add that what does concern a lot of .NET developers is the 'Reflector' problem. Even with obfuscation IP is easier to decode into code files than ever before. Could this be a reason for some of MS (IP weary folks) non adoption in some areas.

Coffeehouse - IIS in XP Pro - for the love of god WHY?

Andrew Webber FX — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 22:51:11 GMT

IIS on XP is fine for what i need.

I host WCF webservices as hosting companies dont offer the beta yet.

I get alot of hits a minute from http://www.originsinfo.com/Origins/Default.aspx which calls my home box.

I find that IIS on the hosting company manages\pools the requests and in return so does the IIS locally on my XP machine. WCF also using object pooling to make sure only get one request timeout every day for the service which i think is down to IIS communicating via named pipes to my WCF Windows Service [WCF Issue].

This only works for my mind as sometimes having more than 10 threads doesn't mean executing work gets done faster!

In summary MSDN patterns & practices is your friend

Coffeehouse - Click Once - Is the world ready

Andrew Webber FX — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:24:29 GMT

Has anyone been sharing my problems with large companies\customers in shipping click once applications due to IT policies (Firewalls\Proxy Servers).

Windows Vista (XBAP and .deploy applications) is really empowered in my oppinon by this model; safe client side code. Will this restrict the revolution for vista if IT staff lock down this model even if companies eventually upgrade to vista?

Tech Off - Lutz Roeder's .NET Reflector, most useful thing ever. Discuss.

Andrew Webber FX — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 14:16:33 GMT

Whole heartily agree,

I needed to automate some of the functionality of mageui.exe onto a web server; reflector totally helped me out however I can’t help but feel less secure when writing .NET apps as I know every developer can just see all your security mechanisms. But i guess when an app is on a local box security is never really safe.
(windbg rules: you are never safe )

Coffeehouse - paul thurott rips vista a new one...

Andrew Webber FX — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 22:34:56 GMT

I like and develope for Windows Vista because its the platform we i can build, in the least time, the best looking apps. DirectX, WinFX and the Windows Platform give me everything i need to produce a product my customers love to use!
[Fact: My product on Windows currently with a 95% market share against my competitors who are mainly on linux and cluster\mainframe environments]

On linux development from my company just wouldnt happen, wast of time IMO [i ok development directions] although on Tiger it might but not to many customers have it widely deployed in the work place so i just doesnt make sence! [Fact: Due to obvious buisness sence]

That stated i do feel sad for Vista not because i hate the lack on WinFS or that i wanted the idea of a Managed only EE allowing for only native authenicode to run which admins or uses could trust by trusting a public key. But really that with the current LEADERSHIP not middle managers or poor old engineers!, that it feels that even channel 9 could even be i waste of time.

Channel 9 opened my eyes, at least to what i thought, to the real development process. Wide eyed, positive engineers, with big grins, really wanting to make a difference and misunderstood. These were the images [PR] i got in the first sets of content from Channel 9. Used to be just engineers not its dreaded PMs and Marketing dudes with the shy engineers afraid of speaking. "you not allowed to speak, just demo and speak about the code ". I have no time for Evangelists that can't code But is it now all just a big marketing shame to drive awareness and hype. For me its just politics, maybe it will all be perfect in Blackcombe, maybe not. I dont care really, i just know at the momment MS is the best platform to develope for. If i were making all the calls, who knows if i could have stopped the mistakes either. its the biggest sw project in the world and it cant be easy.

lastly Office 2007, OMG, what an amazing effort from the office team. not that the office dude has gone to windows lets just hope the next windows turning into the great product it really could and should be.

Coffeehouse - Firefox WTF

Andrew Webber FX — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 00:33:17 GMT

I use IE because most sites just work in it!!. Mostly because of MS dominance, and i have no problem with that because did i mention they just work in it

+ i like some sites offering me applicable client side code. From uploading photos [MS spaces]. i happen to like onecare and there web installer is pretty nice. i like browsing amazon.com in a richly visualized HD web application. There is nothing wrong with activeX in my oppinon and as a developer its a wonderfull tool to add to the toolbelt. problems arrose with there not being enough education on deployment, SP2 helped.
the only 'standard' comparable would be java applets for fire fox which suck.

Firefox and IE share a similar goal, render web content, typically HTML, but people like to put things in boxes to much.
people like to think the web is this http/text world, lightweight, where users expect lets face it a minimal [download at least] and fast expirence [epitomized with dare i say Google home page, that just sums up the web].

the web can be and should be so much more and its such a waste given the power of the desktop pc. browsers are all about expirence and the browser that will win will be the browser that can extend the vision and possibilities of the web as we see it today. if you use or build a browser that works on the whole ideal of process isolation and not caring two hoots what other rich local services it can provide to its user then its not only restricting its capabilities froma user expirence point of view but restricting the possiblities of the web.

As client side apps found out there were advantages communicating not just accross the network but on the local machine so will the web [including browsers] find there a market and value there. Espeacially when today the only way you can make money its by inventing a new technology or aggregating exsiting ones.

BTW my favorate web browser is Windows Media Center closly followed by Apple iHOME; browse latest trailers and with WMC browse webpages [you can even trailor for a navigation expirence suited for the remote], thats a far easier for my parents to understand why anyone would want digital PCTV.

But these arguments are all the same, replace IE and Firefox with J2EE and .NET or Vista and Mac OS X. It comes down to ubiquity; do you want your software\web page to take advantage of known local services and resources to extend your user expirence or do you want loose coupling and isolation.

Tech Off - Event disposal

Andrew Webber FX — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 22:03:57 GMT

ilya wrote:

1) Sometimes I will want to know if an object is being deleted/disposed because I am listening for that also...

on a slippery slope with that kinda requirement in the managed world... i would just use VC++.NET 2005 and delete the managed object, makes me feel better, but even then you wouldnt put a mortgage on it not being around.

Coffeehouse - What apis would you like MS to open?

Andrew Webber FX — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 12:31:59 GMT

blowdart wrote:

I can't really think of a decent reason why either API is closed...

Why dont you use ntdll.dll calls directly instead of win32?

One might argue 'closed' APIs are safer, more developer friendly and less subject the change. Most APIs have exposed interfaces and then intermediary objects aggregating low level components which franky you dont need to know about and if you do, they are updated in the next version. Whats more underlying changes can be made without you even having to know or care, usually . That flexibilty is greatly reduced with an open API. Afterall whats the point of an abstraction that you program against knowing the implementor interworkings . Again greatly reduces flexbility.

Did anyone mention Security?

For example i personally can't see you implementing DRM safely with an open API\source, unless the code is really smart...

just my opinion

Coffeehouse - Xbox 360 second shipment

Andrew Webber FX — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 15:14:25 GMT

zzzzz wrote:

just found out i was placed on the second shippment of the xbox 360 from EBgames. I'm not a happy camper

I’m sure the practicalities of shipping 3million + consoles is monumental however I would be concerned if I were Microsoft as the 'floating voter', as we like to call it in the UK, who cant get access to a 360 for christmas [santa drop] will just wait for ps3 [next santra request].

Coffeehouse - Windows Vista and WPF

Andrew Webber FX — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 15:03:29 GMT

Would also be safe to assume a release build of winfx will ship at the same time as vista for windows XP/... users and be avaliable on windows update?

Coffeehouse - Is WPF getting harder? [Nov]

Andrew Webber FX — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 01:30:13 GMT

I know it sounds crazy; I’ve been with Avalon since it began I even evangelize it to my dad![Why upgrade debate]

But is it just me or is WPF starting to restrict you across builds bit by bit. I’m missing Background=”ImToLazyDoMagicGraidentForMe White Red”, Viewport3D.Children as a DependencyProperty, language restrictions within styles,....
I know I’m moaning [1am uk time] WPF is unbelievable compared to other productivity platforms and Karsten’s forthcoming white paper is awesome for keeping up to date on changes but am I alone in wondering the logic behind changes every change seems to make things harder but im guessing more performant, OO and a host of other reasons but screw OO. "Developers,Developers,Developers"

Microsoft shouldn’t be that transparent and changes, that would be ridiculous, but as a fellow framework developer I would love to know how to make better APIs .

Yes the new November build made all my apps' 3D and styles die, so I’m bias.

KILL ME![C]

Coffeehouse - Microsoft Placement, worth even applying?

Andrew Webber FX — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 16:55:24 GMT

I always attribute getting my placement at microsoft last year to my application form oozing passion. Whatever position one holds in Microsoft, passion and commitment to never give up are common attributes.

If you want some advice, mention your admiration and aspiration for people like Box, Purdy and Anderson but most of all these days placements are occupied by people going beyond the call of duty at uni; societies, extra work expirence no mater how small just giving the overall image of again passion. After all what is it? Microsoft's Passion 'our' potential...

The very fact that you are on channel nine is a BIG start ahead of most applicants trust me and that will get you past at least the first round.

Coffeehouse - Great newss for me and other hobbiests!

Andrew Webber FX — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 06:25:49 GMT

CannotResolveSymbol wrote:

Lack of debugger? All the Express Editions have a debugger built in...

I miss Debug->Windows->Threads

Tech Off - Is FX COP Dead?

Andrew Webber FX — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 14:34:39 GMT

Hey Guys,

i remember a while back when FX Cop was starting up people were complaining about how the BLC seemed to show one to many warnings. i even remember folks talking about it being cleaned up in 2.0 and FXCop being part of VS2005.

Question:|
Why is the framework 2.0 and im guessing here WPF,WWF[not raw ] and WCF, default project templates and such still not passing basic FX Cop runs?

Question:|
Should i include FX as a build task in MSBUILD if i dont have VSTS [if included in VS2005]

Cheers