Survey Says: Twitter not for everyone- including devleopers

Twitter addicts, brace yourselves. This news may come as a bit of a shock to the system. While I'm sure your tweets are the creative equivalents of a brilliant novel written one sentence at a time, more than half the world- the developer world- is not listening. According to the most recent poll run on Telerik Watch, which serves a diverse .NET developer audience, almost a full half of poll takers (46%) never use Twitter. That doesn't mean they tried it and quit (another 10% of poll takers did that). No, this half apparently has no interest in the Twitter phenomenon, bucking the conventional wisdom (by some accounts) that "everyone" (especially in the developer community) is on Twitter.

In fact, according to the poll results, only a quarter of developers (24%) are actively engaged in Twitter. And "actively" is a loose term here. The poll asked people to consider themselves "active" if they make occasional tweets to their Twitter accounts. The final almost 20% of developers use Twitter in "read-only mode," only reading others tweets and contributing none of their own.

And while the snapshot results here represent a smallish sample size (about 70 people), they are very consistent with "straw polling" I've done as a speaker at events around the world with .NET audiences. The conclusion seems to be obvious: Twitter is popular for a very specific "segment" in the developer audience, but it clearly is not universally appealing.

It would be fascinating to conduct additional studies to try to find any links between those people that do and don't enjoy Twitter. Is it a factor of age? Region? Job type? Observational logic does not supply any sound support for those theories.

Perhaps the reason more than half of the people polled don't like Twitter is mismatched expectations. The majority of "tweeters" seem to treat Twitter as an unfiltered megaphone of their life activity. There's no crime in that, but unlike other written medium (including blogs), that diarrhea of the keyboard tends to create a lot of "noise," and not a lot of "signal." It's easy to be turned-off by Twitter after reading for the 10th time about some other relative-strangers "fascinating" lunch menu. I expect many people- self included- don't have the time or desire to keep-up with thousands- or even hundreds- of people's daily details, and that group instead chooses to keep the "signal clear" and stick with less polluted communication channels.

What do you think? I intentionally kept this poll off of the "Twitter radar" to avoid skewing the votes, but I'm curious to get all opinions on the results. Why do you think such a large chunk of .NET developers stay away from Twitter? Are you among them? And if you do use Twitter often, how do you manage the signal-to-noise problem? Sound-off in the comments and then don't forget to tweet about the Telerik Q2 2009 release (#telerikq209)! <rimshot />

New videos for new controls in the RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX

Looking for more help getting started with the new controls in the Q2 2009 release of RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX? Then you may want to check out six new videos posted to Telerik TV today. These videos cover all four of the new controls in the RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX- RadListBox, RadCaptcha, RadBinaryImage, and RadXmlHttpPanel- and they are a quick way to jump start your understanding of these controls. The videos are quick and to the point, so you don't need an hour to watch them- a few minutes and you'll be on your way!

Here are direct links to the new videos:

• Intro to RadListBox [6:10]
  
• Getting Started with RadListBox [12:26]
• Intro to RadCaptcha [3:55]
  
• Intro to RadBinaryImage [2:20]
• Intro to RadXmlHttpPanel [6:15]
  
• Getting Started with RadXmlHttpPanel [16:07]

And since someone asked during today's live webinar for a quick, practical example of getting started with RadXmlHttpPanel, I've embedded the "Getting Started with RadXmlHttpPanel" video above for quick reference. Enjoy!

Q2 2009 Webinars: RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX and WinForms

Another Q2 2009 Release Week Webinar is in the can and ready for your immediate on-demand viewing on Telerik TV (and just above in this post). This webinar covers in more depth the new controls and features in the Q2 2009 RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX and RadControls for WinForms releases. We cover the new controls in ASP.NET AJAX (RadListBox, RadCaptcha, RadXmlHttpPanel, and RadBinaryImage) and we cover the performance improvements and new RadDock in WinForms. This is a great way to get started with the new bits for these two Telerik suites in Q2, so I hope you enjoy recorded resource.

For the hundreds of you that attended live, once again a big thanks for your time! You are all in the running for the two licenses being given away today, and you've earned another entry in Friday's Grand Prize drawing. Watch for today's winners to be announced soon on my "generally strictly business" Twitter feed.

Watch on Telerik TV in Full Resolution

Q2 2009 Release Overview Webinar re-cap

Did you miss it? The first of four Q2 2009 Release Week Webinars is now complete and it was a great time! Hundreds of people showed-up to learn about the new stuff in the Q2 2009 release, and one lucky winner (to be announced soon on Twitter - @toddanglin) will be taking home a Telerik Premium Collection license (valued at $1300)! The webinar is also already available on Telerik TV (and embedded above this post) for your on-demand viewing pleasure, and you can watch for even more Q2 videos to start hitting Telerik TV soon as the other webinars unfold.

Otherwise, thank you very much to those of you that attended live and asked great questions! I hope you enjoyed the content and we look forward to sharing more with you, starting again tomorrow at 11 AM Eastern.

Watch Q2 2009 Whats New Webinar on Telerik TV in Full Resolution

Q2 2009 released!

In what is arguably the most "on time" release in Telerik's history, the Q2 2009 officially shipped today! And that's no small feat considering all seven of Telerik's developer product lines received updates in Q2 2009 and all shipped on time today. There has been a lot of coverage leading-up to Q2- on Telerik Watch, on the Telerik Blogs, and on Twitter- so by now you probably have a pretty good idea what's in the Q2 2009 release.

With a huge release like this, though, it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the new stuff. If I had to draw your attention to a few "important" highlights in the Q2 2009 release, I'd encourage you to focus on:

1. WebAii Testing Framework - Free automated UI testing framework for ASP.NET AJAX and Silverlight shipping with the RadControls for Silverlight and ASP.NET AJAX. Learn more
2. 3D Charting in Silverlight - An industry first, Telerik's "true" 3D engine for Silverlight delivers the first 3D data visualization solution for Silverlight (and by extension, .NET web developers). Learn more
3. RadScheduler for Silverlight - Joining the scheduler components for ASP.NET, WinForms, and WPF, Telerik now ships a full-featured, Outlook-like scheduler control for Silverlight. Learn more
4. 4 New Controls for ASP.NET AJAX - ListBox, CAPTCHA, XmlHttpPanel, and BinaryImage controls join the RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX suite
5. View Support - OpenAccess ORM now has powerful support for mapping Views, and additional support for Stored Procedures in Oracle and MySql. Learn More
6. RadDock for WinForms - After a comprehensive re-do of Telerik's docking control for WinForms, RadDock has emerged as the most complete (i.e. best) docking control available for WinForms in Q2. Learn more

The best way to get started with all the new stuff, of course, is to join us for the free Q2 Release Week Webinars all this week, starting tomorrow at 11 AM Eastern. We'll start with an overview and then focus on different products everyday. If you can't join the live events, watch for the recordings to quickly find their way to Telerik TV for on-demand viewing.

Also, don't forget that there are two contests running this week where you can win prizes from Telerik:

1. Webinars Contest - Prizes given away everyday to live attendees. One Grand Prize winner at the end of the week wins Telerik Premium Collection and pass to PNP Summit 2009 ($1900 value). Attend more webinars live for more chances to win.
2. Twitter Contest - Tweet with #telerikq209 between Monday and Friday for a chance at winning one of two Telerik Premium Collection licenses.

Telerik has made big steps in Q2 2009 towards delivering the true "All-in-one .NET Toolbox," and we have many more exciting things planned for 2009. For now, enjoy the webinars, participate in the contests, and then watch for many new videos, blog posts, and learning resources to flood the web to help you get started with Telerik Q2!

Release Notes
RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX Q2 2009 [2009.2.701]
RadControls for WinForms Q2 2009 [2009.2.701]
RadControls for WPF Q2 2009 [2009.2.701]
RadControls for Silverlight Q2 2009 [2009.2.701]
Telerik Reporting Q2 2009 [3.1.9.701]
Telerik OpenAccess ORM Q2 2009 [2009.2.701]
Telerik WebUI Test Studio Q2 2009 [2009.2.701]

Telerik Watch Minute: Q2 2009 Release Week News

The "official" Q2 2009 release date is getting closer, and to help you stay on top of all the exciting release news, I've prepared a quick Telerik Watch Minute to get you started. There will be many ways to win prizes during next week's Q2 2009 Release Week, and many more opportunities to learn about the new controls and features in the release. You can find most of the details for the "contests" right here on Telerik Watch, but if reading 'aint your thing, this quick 3-minute Telerik Watch will tell you everything you need to know.

Watch in full resolution on Telerik TV

Tweet This: Telerik Q2 2009 Twitter Contest

As you know by now, Telerik is hosting an exciting week of webinars during next week's big Q2 2009 release. There will be a webinar everyday and prizes everyday, too (with a lucky Grand Prize winner taking home a free pass to the PNP Summit and a Premium Collection license). But if attending webinars isn't your thing- or if you just don't have the time- there is now another way for you to get in on the Q2 2009 release fun.

Next week, Telerik will be running a "Q2 2009 Twitter Contest" and two lucky winners will take home Telerik Premium Collection licenses. The rules to play are simple:

1. Between 12:01 AM July 6th and 12:00 midnight July 10th, tweet about the Telerik Q2 2009 release
2. Include the "#telerikq209" tag in your tweet for your tweet to be entered in the contest
3. Sit back, enjoy the release, and wait for the winners to be announced on Monday, July 13th on my Twitter account (@toddanglin)
   

You can tweet about the Telerik Q2 release as much as you like, but we'll only include one "entry" in the random prize drawing per person (or more accurately, per Twitter account, which generally should be one entry per person). You can craft your own original tweet or simply re-tweet what others are saying (just don't forget the important hash tag). If your tweet is really good, we may even feature it after the release on various Telerik online properties (so put those creative tweeting caps on).

There aren't many easier ways to have a shot at winning Telerik's $1300 Premium Collection, so take a minute to share your thoughts on our 2nd major release of the year and you just might win a prize!

Telerik Q2 2009 Webinar Week, Prize Details and Schedule (update)

Smell that? That's a freshly baked release from Telerik that's just about ready to "officially" launch. The Q2 2009 release is one of the biggest releases in Telerik's history, again delivering simultaneous updates to all 7 Telerik product lines at one time. An update of this scale is bound to have lots new and interesting stuff, and we can't wait to put it in your hands so you can start playing with it. The official launch of Q2 2009 is Monday, July 6th, and to help you jump-off with the new bits and maximize your productivity with the Telerik tools, we'll be running another release "Webinar Week."

But before I reveal the schedule for the Webinar Week, let me tell you about the prizes!

There will be two ways to win prizes during the Q2 Webinar Week:

1. Every webinar will award 1 or 2 (depending on the products covered) individual product suite licenses to the people that attend the live event. All you have to do to enter is show-up to the live event and you will be in the pool for a randomly selected winner at the conclusion of the webinar (winners will be notified via email, so don't register with a spam address unless you don't care to claim your prize).
2. For every live webinar you attend during the webinar week, you will also be entered in the drawing for the Webinar Week Grand Prize: a Telerik Premium Collection license (valued at $1300) and a pass to the 2009 PNP Summit (a $1900 value)! The more webinars you attend live, the better your odds are at winning the prize valued at over $3000.

Plus, to get things kicked-off with a bang, we will be giving away a Premium Collection license to the winner of the first live webinar drawing (instead of a individual suite license), so you definitely don't want to miss the live events.

Now for the schedule. Things get kicked-off on Tuesday, July 7th and run through the end of the week. Webinars will be held everyday at 11:00 AM Eastern Time and all will be recorded for Telerik TV on-demand viewing. The topics covered will be:

• Tuesday, July 7th - Q2 2009: What's New?
  Join me for a general overview of the Q2 release and high-level intro to what's new
  PRIZE: 1 Premium Bundle Collection license
  Register for webinar now
  
  
• Wednesday, July 8th - RadControls for ASP.NET AJAX and WinForms
  Join me again for a more in-depth look at what's new in the RadControls for WinForms and ASP.NET AJAX
  PRIZE:1 RadConrols for ASP.NET AJAX license, 1 RadControls for WinForms license
  Register for webinar now
  
  
• Thursday, July 9th - OpenAccess ORM
  Join Telerik DE Gabe Sumner for a closer look at what's new in Telerik OpenAccess ORM
  PRIZE: 1 OpenAccess ORM license
  Register for webinar now
  
  
• Friday, July 10th - RadControls for Silverlight / WPF
  Join Telerik DE Evan Hutnick for a closer look at what's new in the RadControls for Silverlight and the RadControls for WPF
  PRIZE: 1 RadControls for Silverlight license, 1 RadControls for WPF license
  Register for webinar now
  

Registration links for the webinars will be available very soon, so be sure to register early to save your seat. The Q2 2009 Webinar Week is the best way to get started with the Telerik Q2 2009 release, and with all the great prizes to go around, you definitely don't want to miss these free events. We'll see you live next week!

P.S. Those of you in timezones that are unable to attend the live events, don't worry. We'll be running another contest next week where you can win prizes, too. Stay tuned for details...

UPDATE: All registration links for the webinars have been added above.

Dallas TechFest Wrap-up, Slides and Code

With the weekend squarely in the rear view mirror, it's time to close the books at this year's Dallas TechFest. The event, which was held on Friday, was a full-day of not only .NET learning, but Java, Cold Fusion, Flex, and Ruby, all held in the setting of the beautiful Westin Stonebriar Resort. I never saw an official "numbers" report, but it looked like there were easily 250 - 350 people taking part in the fun (maybe even more), so by all accounts I think the event was a success.

Both of my Silverlight 2/3 sessions went well, too. Aside from my ThinkPad giving me plenty of reason to think about shortening its life, the demos went well and the crowds got a good taste of SL3. In fact, Building Business Apps with SL3 was a standing room only session, so extra special thanks to those of you that came and stood through it all!

Below you can find the slides and code from my sessions. Be sure you have Silverlight 3 installed to work with the code, and don't forget that installing SL3 means the end of your SL2 development. Until the tooling gets better, it's an either-or choice.

Building Business Applications with Silverlight 2 (and 3)
[Slides (PDF)] [Code (8MB Zip)]

What's New in Silverlight 3?
[Slides (PDF)] [Code (3MB Zip)]