PASS SQL Summit 2009 Discount Code

With time running out for taking advantage of the pre-registration discounts to PASS 2009, here is a discount code for $100 off the registration fee. Get $100 off SQL Summit with code 24HR3D. See you at PASS 2009!

Microsoft Launches Non-Profit Open Source Foundation

I’m not sure what to think of this. I have always been a fan of the open source movement. I know, then why am I a Microsoft DBA? I can only say, at the time, my employers required me to support Microsoft products. And after working with SQL Server for many years, I became comfortable with it.

Anyway, Microsoft launched a new Non-Profit Open Source Foundation yesterday named, The CodePlex Foundation. And already, there are a lot of discussions about it. I think that Microsoft is trying to continue to build its community by having developers create open source software that will assist the community as a whole.

Also, I have no doubt that Microsoft has a business motivation in this as well, because after all, Microsoft is a profit driven company. It could be that Microsoft would like to see if there are ways for them sell their products to entities that run open source, or it could be something more. Either way, I don’t believe open source developers will embrace it as evident in this Slashdot post.

The CodePlex Foundation : http://codeplex.org/

New SQL Server Background

I just picked up on Twitter that Buck Woody (MSFT) has published a blog post about SQL Server Desktop Screen Background. Use the link below to get it.

http://blogs.msdn.com/buckwoody/archive/2009/09/07/sql-server-desktop-screen-background.aspx