The strongest articles on engineering excellence and technical leadership — ranked by substance, not recency. How this is ranked
Engineering as a Leadership System: Moving Beyond Frameworks
Delivery outcomes are shaped less by frameworks and practices than by the operating model leaders have designed. How an organisation's …
Why Most Companies Operating Models Fail in Dynamic Markets
A concise comparison of Predictive and Adaptive Operating Models, explaining why traditional structures fail in dynamic markets and how …
One Azure DevOps Project for 1,500 People Is Not the Risky Option
Compare the coordination costs of separate Azure DevOps Projects with the governance a shared Project requires, using actual dependencies …
Telling People What to Do Is Not Leadership. It’s a Failure of System Design
Explores why real leadership means designing systems that enable team autonomy, flow, and accountability, rather than relying on …
The AI Decided Is Not an Explanation
When an AI says it got bored or we say it lied, we give a machine feelings and intentions. The false output needs an explanation, not an …
AI Agents Lie About Being Done
My agent reported every task complete when half the tests were missing. Call that a lie if you like. The engineering problem is that the …
Don’t Manage Dependencies, Remove Them
Explains why dependencies are a sign of poor system design and outlines steps to eliminate them by aligning teams, clarifying ownership, and …
The Estimation Trap: How Tracking Accuracy Undermines Trust, Flow, and Value in Software Delivery
Tracking estimation accuracy in software delivery leads to mistrust, fear, and distorted behaviours. Focus on customer value, flow, and …
Is Agile Really Just a Mindset?
Explores Agile as a disciplined system of delivery, emphasizing engineering excellence, CI/CD, observability, and system design over mindset …
893 resources, newest first
Visual Studio 2008 Team Edition for Architects
Explains the lack of Windows Communication Foundation support in Visual Studio 2008 Team Edition for Architects' Application diagram and its …
TFS Event Handler in .NET 3.5
Learn how to build a resilient, scalable Team Foundation Server event handler using .NET 3.5, covering architecture, event handling, WCF …
Creating a custom proxy class
Learn how to build a custom proxy class in .NET 3.0 for duplex communication, enabling maintainable code and easy updates when service …
Team Foundation Server Error TF30177: Team Project Creation Failed - Part 2
Explains how to resolve Team Foundation Server project creation errors caused by SharePoint managed path conflicts, with steps to identify …
Using Visual Studio 2008
Overview of Visual Studio 2008 features, including multi-.NET Framework targeting, project upgrade notes, source control tips, and new …
About Me
Personal profile with links to Martin Hinshelwood’s resume, LinkedIn, and background, clarifying identity and focusing on technology over …
Studying for the new job
Preparing for a new job by studying BizTalk Server, SharePoint Services, and .NET certifications, with recommended books and resources for …
A change for the better #1 - Merrill Lynch to Aggreko
A developer transitions from Merrill Lynch to Aggreko, seeking stability and opportunities to work with new technologies like SharePoint, …
Team Foundation Server Error TF30177 : Team Project Creation Failed
Explains how to resolve Team Foundation Server TF30177 errors by updating server URLs to use the FQDN, addressing proxy and DNS issues …
A new day, a new week, a new Team Server
Covers upgrading to TFS 2008, smooth installation, creating projects with Visual Studio 2005, and exploring SharePoint integration with …
The cause of dyslexia
Dyslexia is a hereditary, neurological condition linked to brain structure and function, affecting reading ability but often associated with …
Service Manager Factory
Provides an upgraded managed service factory for .NET, with installer support for GAC deployment, enabling integration into various …
Windows Live SkyDrive Beta
Review of SkyDrive Beta’s ease of use for online file storage and sharing, with suggestions for improved online editing and SharePoint-style …
Team Foundation Server Error 28936
Explains how Team Foundation Server installation fails with error 28936 due to IIS URLScan filter blocking web services, and how removing it …
Windows Vista Pre-SP1 Performance and Reliability Updates Result
A user shares improved speed and reliability after installing Windows Vista pre-SP1 updates on an older laptop, highlighting smoother …
Becoming a better developer
Practical steps for improving as a developer, including ongoing learning, project work, community involvement, blogging, and embracing …
Why I think VB.NET is a better choice than C#
Compares VB.NET and C#, highlighting VB.NET’s advantages in readability, accessibility, case insensitivity, and real-time code checking, …
VB 9
Comparison of Visual Basic and C#, highlighting arguments and evidence supporting Visual Basic’s advantages within the .NET development …
Hosted Team Foundation Server
Explains challenges of hosting Team Foundation Server, including project isolation issues, upcoming improvements, and the availability of …
Microsoft's internal uptake of Team Foundation Server
Microsoft widely adopted Team Foundation Server internally, with 21 instances supporting 734 projects and 5,600 users, driving rapid product …
Office Mobile 2007
Covers installing Office Mobile 2007 on Windows Mobile 6, highlighting new features like RSS feeds in Outlook Mobile and OneNote Mobile with …
MSN Cartoon (Beta)
Step-by-step guide to using MSN Cartoon Beta, a Microsoft tool for creating custom cartoon avatars from photos, including installation, …
Application Owner
Explains the responsibilities of managing production applications, including vendor relations, issue resolution, audits, and system access, …
An Application Deployment
Highlights the challenges of deploying complex enterprise applications with incomplete, unclear documentation, emphasising the need for …
Developer vindication
A .NET developer shares their experience of being approached by Microsoft for a potential job, highlighting the challenges of US work visa …
HTC Touch / Black Shadow Weather
Guide to adding custom cities to the HTC Touch or Black Shadow Weather app by editing registry or XML files, enabling local weather display …
Soapbox Beta
Microsoft Soapbox is an online video sharing platform similar to YouTube, using Flash for playback instead of Silverlight, and accessible …
Southparkify / Simpsonize : better with both!
Comparison of Southparkify and Simpsonize avatar creators, highlighting differences and personal preferences for creating cartoon-style …
Team System Web Access finally released
Team System Web Access, the successor to TeamPlain, is now available, offering improved stability and features for TFS users, but with some …
Simpsonize Me!
Transform your photo into a character styled like The Simpsons using an online tool that creates cartoon versions of real-life images.
Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 Team Explorer
Explains the absence of Team Explorer in Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 installation and the need to download it separately for Team Foundation …
Installing the .NET Framework 3.5 Beta 2 on Vista
Step-by-step guide to resolving .NET Framework 3.5 Beta 2 installation issues on Windows Vista by uninstalling specific hotfixes and …
Installing Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 on XP
Guide to resolving installation issues with Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 on Windows XP, including removing Office 2007 beta and hardware …
Social and Business Networking
Explores challenges of managing multiple social and business networks, proposing a unified, secure system for centralised contact management …
What is dyslexia?
Dyslexia affects reading and spelling, often causing letter confusion, but can enhance oral skills and visual thinking. Many develop unique …
SharePoint Content Request | What would you like to see?
Share your ideas for new SharePoint features, including better Team Foundation Server integration for both technical and non-technical …
Why do we care about software factories?
Explains the benefits of software factories, how they improve software development, and highlights resources that make the concept easier to …
Deployment documentation
Outlines steps to document and improve deployment for a complex business app, focusing on automation, rollback, vendor updates, and …
How to become a Multi-Dimensional Free Thinker
Explores how dyslexia can enhance multi-dimensional thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, highlighting benefits for careers in …
Memories of a multi-dimensional free thinking software developer
Explores how neurodiversity, particularly dyslexia, influences software development skills, offering insights and resources for developers …
Access to Team Foundation Server
Discusses challenges and solutions for accessing and practising with Team Foundation Server (TFS) outside work, including limitations of …
Loosing the battle, but the war goes on
A personal account of challenges promoting TFS over Jira and Subversion, highlighting adoption barriers, team dynamics, and efforts to …
How 'e' are you?
Discover your "e-score" and see how you rank online with a quick test that measures your digital expertise and compares your results to …
TFS Event Handler Prototype Feedback
Request for user feedback on the TFS Event Handler tool, focusing on installation, configuration, functionality, and interest in future …
Its that time again
A developer reflects on career changes, balancing family and work, and considers moving into contracting for flexibility and better pay, …
Simplify
Blog categories and article categories have been streamlined, with clearer descriptions and Wikipedia links. Suggestions include post …
The future of software development
Explores how software factories, web services, and specialised development teams can speed up software delivery, improve adaptability, and …
Back to the grind
Returning to work after two weeks of paternity leave and welcoming a newborn daughter; reflections on family and resuming professional life.
The Delivery
A personal account of a daughter's birth, detailing the unexpected and rapid labour, hospital experience, and gratitude for the support …
Windows Mobile 6 Black Shadow (4.0)
Guide to updating HTC Hermes phones with Windows Mobile 6 Black Shadow (4.0) ROM, including installation steps, benefits, and tips to avoid …