Damn, I can't wait for OneNote 12.

I've been reading about the upcoming features of my favorite piece of software for a while, and have wanted to mention it on here, but I've just been so insanely busy. It's very seldom that I get so excited about a piece of software that I lie awake at night thinking about the possibilities. By golly gosh, the stuff we're going to see in the second iteration of the amazing brain-extender known as OneNote has me smiling in my sleep. Seriously.

OK, some background: OneNote is, as its name suggests, a note-taking application. It sits in your system tray (or on your second monitor in my case) ready for almost anything to be dragged into it, or typed into it, or pasted into it, etc etc. Then, it enables you to organise said anything into folders, sections and pages, and search them instantaneously. Imagine, if you will, an assistant who takes mental notes for you, and can without fail return these notes for you at will, within context. That's what OneNote's about. Actually, to really understand it, you've gotta read what Owen Braun has said. The way he's summarised the reasoning behind it is such a cool way of showcasing alternative thinking.

Anyway, I've been using OneNote 2003 (SP1) for about 2 years now, and I quite simply can't do without it anymore. You know how reliant you are on your web browser? Multiply that by 10, and you'll begin to understand how useful this puppy is. I'm typing this paragraph in OneNote. When someone phones me (or I phone them), I type their details into it. When I'm searching for stuff on the web, I drag links, paragraphs and images into it. When I'm shortlisting things I have to do for the day, I use it. When Charles and I are setting up software specs, we use a shared OneNote session to edit on a live whiteboard. I could go on and on, but the point is simple really: This baby has become a part of my life like no other piece of software ever has. Bearing in mind that I've been actively using PCs since 1984, that's a pretty big thing…

Which is why, when I read this, I just had to sit still and think about it for a while.
Holy. Crap.

Some days, Microsoft just plain kicks ass.

Yep, we're hiring again - this time, we're looking for a .NET developer with workflow experience and a solid track record. The following skills are required:

• A solid understanding of .NET architecture at both server and client level
• At least 2 years workflow experience
• At least 2 years MS SQL Server 2000 experience (SQL 2005 would be beneficial)
• SharePoint knowledge would also be beneficial

This is not a web developer or entry-level position, you need to have a bit of business-related coding (specifically workflow) behind you, and what we're willing to offer reflects this.

So, interested in working on the next generation of integrated Microsoft systems, can figure things out yourself, and have the experience to show?

We'd love to hear from you!

Dear James (and Peter, and Jill for that matter),

You're a client of ours. By the fact that we're both agreeing parties to a unwritten (or sometimes written) contract through which we undertake to deliver something of value to you in return for payment, I can safely say this.

In the course of doing business, we make money out of you. Profit, if we run things well. Depending on whether we treat you well, we'll continue to generate revenue from you. We wouldn't have it any other way. Actually, I'm convinced that most businesses wouldn't have it any other way. Today, however, I'd like to let you in on a secret: I get just as much a kick out of you making money with the systems we've provided you with as I do billing you for them. You heard right, I dig it deeply when you make money with our help. Every time you fire up a piece of software developed, customised, planned or implemented by us, I get excited about what you're going to do with it.

So, as we start this new business year, I'd like to wish you all the best in making money. Whether you make it selling high-end services, bringing out the taste of food, being creative, or linking people up, I hope you coin it. We'll be there to help you every step of the way. Make no mistake, we're going to charge you for it, but I've got a feeling you won't have a problem with that. Value tends to flock together, and we'll be right there in the flock, by your side, ready to help you exploit whatever it is you're grazing. Why? Because when you make money, we do too, and both of us win.

Let's get cracking.

Yours truly
Martin

I was thinking about writing about some new year's stuff, like everyone else does. Resolutions, and all that stuff. The problem is, I don't really make new year's resolutions - at least, I try not to, because I believe I should be doing whatever I should be all the time.

Sigh. I can't win, however, seeing as business does work according to years, here goes:

More walking, but not less talking. More rock-star attitude, with an understanding that it needs to be backed up by some serious skill on the drums. Better understanding of what drives value in the background, and how to make money by helping our clients make money. Less wasting time doing nothing (OK, that's a personal one). Less manual processes, more automation. Less clients who aren't profitable. A few more clients who get our vision, and a lot more ones who don't need to, because we're selling them commoditized services, enabled by an understanding that it's the best way to make a boat-load of that profit stuff for them and ourselves.

R5 mil? Why not?

Less is good. More is just as good.