However, one thing to keep in mind when doing updates to the database using LINQ to SQL—you must have a primary key assigned on the table(s) that you are updating, otherwise no records will be updated; it will simply execute with no updates committed. 

This is one thing that can easily be overlooked, as it was in my case—trying to do a quick-and-dirty update of about 14,000 records…

Just wanted to drop that line out there and hopefully save someone the same headache I had…

And no, it wasn’t the kool-aid

//T

The method of content delivery for this site will focus more on social media–video and audio delivered across a distributed social internetwork, yet with the hub being shepardroad.com. I will continue to use this blog for written content and as a location that is part of the Shepard Road social internetwork as I mentioned above.

I look forward to sharing more with everyone in the coming days/months and the coming year.

All the best!!

Tom Miller

More specifically, Shepard Road is here to reach out to anyone with a passion for or is involved with internet-based business, or expanding their business’ internet footprint.  We are certainly in a watershed period of time in which the evolution of what we have called the internet has expanded beyond email and “the web” to a truly vast interconnected network of devices and media that is now the infrastructure supporting a socially interconnected network of people in all regions of the world.

As the landscape of this network is changing, so are the methods of content delivery.  While the written word is powerful, other forms of social media are rapidly gaining in popularity and acceptance by the masses.  Exponential increases in network resources and the proliferation of the infrastructure has removed the barrier to entry into content delivery mediums that were only accessible by broadcast networks a decade ago.  With this change in mind, Shepard Road puts an emphasis on delivering content through video and/or audio broadcasts and through the social networks.

These networks being social in nature, offer the ability to reach existing and potential customers, to build new business opportunities and to build new and innovative applications to deliver the products and services we are passionate about.  It is here that I am looking to facilitate the building of momentum while sharing my passions that drive me and inspire me to contribute to this community.

Regards and Happy Holidays!
Tom Miller

Additionally, there is an inarguable disparity between LAMP/WAMP web platforms and the ASP.NET platform in the Internet Marketing space.  The answer to “why” is obvious—because generally speaking, they’re freely available open-source platforms.  But the availability of the .NET platform for the ecommerce, Internet Marketing and web platforms in general is virtually no less to the vast majority of people out there by virtue of the very fact that just about EVERYONE uses a hosting provider.

So, what do I care about a free platform when the hosting environment is never free, and a non-technical person is always going to need technical resources and assistance?  That said, there is an incredible opportunity for Microsoft ASP.NET developers to apply the power of the .NET Framework and their skills to an incredibly large growth market and bring the value of the platform to the table.

This is a a concept that Shepard Road seeks to build upon, providing resources for the ASP.NET developer to apply their skills and build new ones in the Internet Marketing industry.

There are so many related topics that are potential candidates for future posts, such as using VBScript in environments where byte counting is required, or using it to customize enterprise-class COTS applications through a scripting interface, to how such a seemingly minimal change can impact a production environment, etc…but at the end of the day, as the development landscape and paradigms change, implementing old technology should be done so with care.  Technologies and platforms such as the .NET Framework offer more powerful and robust capabilities which overall far outweigh the simplicity and familiar comfort that the VB6/COM world has given us for years. 

//T

I made this mistake knowing this limitation exists, however nothing warned me that I could put the files into the zip file, but once I put more than 4 GB worth of files into it, I would not even be able to open the archive, much less extract the files.  This is not a catastrophe for me, as I am a professional software developer, however it is inconvenient to say the least.  To remedy this, I am using C#/Visual Studio 2005 and a very simple windows forms application to carry out the task.

While the .NET Framework 2.0 includes easy to use compression libraries, I have opted to use the ZipForge component from ComponentAce, which is flexible and just as easy to use with the built-in .NET 2.0 compression routines.  Doing it this way allows me to specify that the archive I am trying to access should should be accessed using the Zip64 format by setting the .Zip64Mode property = Always.

While this quick-and-dirty method to my large-zip-file-madness was not without "dirt", if you will, it did demonstrate how a commonly used piece of functionality contains pitfalls that are increasingly more likely to trap the average home user, however it also demonstrates that it is not the end of the world when you encounter this situation. 

//T

Whether it is the latest keyword “spy” or analysis tool, or the gotta-have software development application, the only real reason tools should be used is to automate a process that by which a significant gain in productivity and/or quality is realized.  It is fair to say that many—if not most—people who are just starting out in a particular discipline rush to acquire tools as a sort of “black box” that will magically churn out results while not really understanding even the basic process that produced the results.

Particularly in the software development realm, I have talked quite a bit about tools and their value.  Not unlike an auto mechanic who brings their own tools to work, a seasoned software developer always has a software "toolbox” that they bring with them to every project.  The purpose of these tools is not to replace the knowledge of how to build or fix something, rather to increase the efficiency and quality of their work.  This applies to any field.  An accountant does not prepare your taxes with software without the knowledge of how to prepare a return, rather the software is used to automate a process that would take them hours to do using a pen to fill out the forms.

As I embark on my new Internet Marketing ventures, these observations are being reinforced as I get flooded with emails offering the greatest keyword intelligence system out there, a “must-have” membership to an exclusive forum, etc…the important thing is to realize that tools are great, even necessary, however there is nobody out there who becomes successful without being a subject matter expert in what they are successful at. 

Be careful not to let tools prevent you from building up the expertise needed to succeed.  Whether it is because discouragement sets in or the money runs out, relying on tools without expertise will always end in failure.

I am a successful software developer in part because I have learned these lessons throughout my career, and I will apply the value of this knowledge to my efforts toward building a career in Internet Marketing as well.  Learn the processes and concepts—become an expert at what you do, and you will succeed without a doubt!

//T

This library is so simple, lightweight and easy to use that I had it up and working in less than 5 minutes.  With a simple one-line call within a loop, I was able to unzip a large list of files like this:

        private void button7_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            DirectoryInfo di = new DirectoryInfo(@"C:\Temp\stage");
            foreach (FileInfo fi in di.GetFiles())
            {
                ZipFile zip = new ZipFile(fi.FullName);
                zip.ExtractAll(fi.Directory.FullName, ExtractExistingFileAction.OverwriteSilently);
            }
        }

This is one of the coolest items I have found for the toolbox in a long time.  Thanks, Dino!

//T

As dictated by the very nature of both of these disciplines, their very existence is an exercise in evolution;  as this venue is launched, so the evolution begins.  Yet, while interdependent, the two disciplines will maintain their respective focus, providing relevant information surrounding these disciplines individually.

Additionally, the very essence of the concept of evolution includes creative growth, in the spirit of which welcomes collaboration.  Without the creative mix of this collaboration, new ideas become sparse, or at the very least lack any substantive momentum.  So please, contribute where compelled or inspired.

With that, welcome—we look forward to what is to come!