12 December 2007
Exploring a different horizon.
I often get queries, questions and so on around why I on one hand wear the Microsoft logo on my shirt, yet roam around the the place with a MacBook Pro. I also at times play around with Adobe Products as well as our own, and essentially the question mark above peoples heads are mixed.
Allow me to respond out loud and proud.
People are many things, but one thing is predictable is that we are habitual in our approach at times. We find a pattern of approaching a particular problem / solution and we typically stick to our "guns". I'm essentially a clear cut version of this, but I love technology. I will use any or all and I really don't formulate a specific opinion on any one technology. I make it a point to the extreme never to get locked into a specific technology and I do this because years ago, I was the opposite. I spent all my cycles locked into one technology and was a classic "Fanboi" and I later realised I was so narrow minded it was embarrassing (yet I at times still carry this trait)
It took seeing how other stacks do things differently for me to learn and grow my awareness (didn't make me smarter) of the world around me. I am really committed to ensuring Microsoft products are heard in appropriate forums and I do believe that Microsoft has a strong value proposition, that being said I can only present this view based off using other technologies like Apple, Adobe, Google and so on.
If you ever see me use a competing technology, chuckle and then make comments like "..See, Microsoft employee x doesn't even believe in his own technology.." simply pause, and think about that statement. Why would I do that firstly, and does this make my experience using Microsoft technologies stronger or weaker.
I worry at the person whom uses 100% end to end technology from one brand and refuses to accept or try out competing technologies. How can you agree that a particular technology is a better fit for a particular problem unless you've looked at it from all angles.
It's not always popular thinking, but I personally believe it's not always about being popular. Right Tool, Right Time, Right Job.
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Scott Barnes currently is a Rich Platform Product Manager (WPF & Silverlight). He has been working with Adobe/Macromedia technology for the past 10 years with a main focus specifically on Internet Applications (aka. RIA, Rich Client Technology etc).
Scott first started out as a graphic designer in the late 90’s and over the years developed a passion for programmatic art (Designer + Developer mind). He recently has branched out further into 3D modelling and animation making full use of both his designer + developer mindset.
"..The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man..." - George Bernard Shaw
