Thanks for visiting! My name is Thomas Abraham. I’m a long-time Microsoft technology expert in both development and systems engineering, covering everything from C/C++ to COM to C#/VB.NET to Exchange Server and ISA Server. For about as long as I’ve been in the technology business, I’ve been deeply involved in both sides of the house. I can talk C++ one minute and firewall installation the next.
I suppose some background is in order:
After leaving behind years of BASIC in the Apple II world, I made the jump to PCs in 1990 and picked up the C language in MS-DOS. That led to C++ in MS-DOS and a few years later to Visual C++ for Windows. Over the following years I worked with MFC, ATL, COM, COM+/MTS and more in all kinds of cool, high-performance GUI and service apps. During the same time period, I spent countless hours in systems engineering for my employers’ IT departments, implementing and maintaining everything from Raptor firewalls to Exchange installations.
In January 2002, the development side of my world changed as I switched to .NET 1.0 working with Microsoft Business Solutions. Soon after, in June 2002, I co-wrote the book “VB.NET Solutions Toolkit”, published by Wrox Press. I still often miss C++, but 95% of my development work since 2002 has been in .NET, both C# and VB.NET.
I’ve resisted the blog craze for a long time, but I just need an outlet for all of my “Did you know/remember XYZ?” thoughts. There is SO much to know as a Microsoft developer these days, that no one can keep even 20% of it in memory at once. I think it’s helpful to have a place to go not only for new knowledge, but also for reminders of things that you might have forgotten.
We’ll see where this goes. Thanks for reading.
