Since this is the first issue of 2002, we'd like to make a proposal. 2001, as you know, was a tough year in many ways. In fact, it was the worst year in recent memory. Therefore, we'd like to propose that the calendar year 2001 be considered over on the day we ship this to the printer.
There. That wasn't so hard. If only we'd thought of that back in August! Could've saved us all a lot of grief. This new year, 2002, holds a lot of promise for everyone, especially for those of us who have an interest in the programming arts. What's going to make this year so fabulous, you ask?
.NET Framework The framework should be reaching its "good to go" state by early 2002. What does this mean to you? If you're already using it, you'll be able to distribute your applications to a wider user base. Instead of saying that you're using a beta version on your production servers, you'll be able to say that you're using the release version. It sounds less scary that way (even though scores of companies and Internet sites have already deployed beta-based solutions, it's technically not recommended).
Visual Studio .NET OK, so Visual Studio .NET and the .NET Framework go hand-in-hand. But in addition to being the first version of the IDE that supports .NET, Visual Studio .NET has some really amazing features built in. The Common Language Runtime of .NET supports any language that generates the proper bytecodes, which in turn allows Visual Studio .NET to support compliant languages from any vendor who offers one. We're talking Java. Cobol. Perl. RPG. APL. Yes, APL. We could get into a discussion of the nightmare of writing an APL-to-Lisp bytecode generator as a college freshman 17 years ago, but we just turned the calendar ahead to 2002 so it's time to bury those memories once and for all.
Windows XP We know what you're thinking. "Hey, wasn't Windows XP released in 2001?" Sure, if you want to use outdated modes of thinking like "looking at calendars" and "remaining in reality." No way. Not for us. We're naming Windows XP an honorary member of 2002. "Aha," you're now thinking, "so you admit that it slipped and missed a pre-holiday delivery last year!" No, that's not what we're saying at all. We just mean that�oh, this is getting too complicated. Windows XP. 2002. Deal with it.
Xbox Yes, just like Windows XP, the Xbox was technically released in 2001. It's an end-user product, anyway, not a programming tool. So why are we mentioning it here? If we don't, we'll never hear the end of it from Benjamin. Also, the games are pretty cool.
Tech•Ed It's never too early to start thinking about being in New Orleans in April. We know that getting on an airplane is a cause of major apprehension for many people these days. But what better way to regain a feeling of control and security than to fly to Louisiana for a week-long conference? The food is spicy, the weather is just on the edge of unpleasantly sticky, and the beer flows freely—both at the conference parties and on Bourbon Street. Why they don't hold these events in Edmonton, we'll never know.
Broadband Just wanted to toss this into the mix, in the hopes that turning the calendar forward a couple of months will actually speed the deployment of viable broadband options to our homes. 768Kbps, static IP, reliable service. That's all we ask. But the phone company tells us that it's not even on the Ver�uh�horizon.
Rolling Stones The sooner we get their 40th anniversary over with, the better. It's just not something we want to think about. It's bad enough that most of the band looks like the California Raisins now—do we have to be reminded that it's because they're really, really old?
Bob Dole They have to stop showing the soft drink ad with Bob Dole and the barking dog sometime before the end of 2002 (hopefully sooner rather than later). They just have to. This alone will make 2002 a better year.
So there you have it. We're confident that 2002 will be a great year, and frankly, I think we all deserve one. This is going to be the best bounce-back year in history. Tech jobs are going to come back strong, the world will find peace, and everyone will find fulfillment at work and at home. Goodbye, 2001.
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