2019 - November/December
What's your superpower? In this issue we cover a wide range of topics and technologies. Sumeya Block & Sara Chipps interview each other about women in STEM; Jeannine Takaki-Nelson writes about creating custom solutions with SQL Server Machine Learning; Julie Lerman helps you get started with Azure Serverless Functions; Kate Gregory teaches you how to read emotions into existing code and Ashleigh Lodge shares why writing accessible applications is better for everyone. This and other great content round out this issue. Enjoy!
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Sock Sock Shoe Shoe
Melanie Spiller argues that our ingrained sequences—like how we put on socks and shoes—shape perception and productivity, and that deliberately scrambling routines can refresh attention, reveal overlooked details, and spark creativity; she offers practical examples from walking opposite routes, editing upside-down, writing out of order, and software development, concluding that selective, purposeful disorder can be energizing, even if some habitual orders (both socks, both shoes) remain stubbornly objectionable.
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Enhance Your Search Applications with Artificial Intelligence
Search is everywhere. But unless you add it to your app, you won’t find it there! Sahil examines the various search tools in the Microsoft ecosystem and shows you how to make the most of them.
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Syncing a Client Database with the Server
Craig shows you how to gracefully resolve conflicts and synchronization issues with disconnected databases.
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Get Started with Serverless Azure Functions
Azure Functions take care of most of the server-related problems tied to hosting. Julie shows you how to integrate them with your own app and then monitor the results.
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Women in STEM: An Interview
Whether you’re in the middle of your career or just starting out, women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) have unique challenges. Listen in as Sumeya and Sara interview each other about it.
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Stone Soup: Cooking Up Custom Solutions with SQL Server Machine Learning
SQL Server 2017 has machine learning services baked right in. If you’ve been wondering how to use it, you’ll be fascinated by what Jeannine’s serves up.
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Emotional Code
In "Emotional Code," Kate Gregory argues that emotions deeply influence the way programmers write and maintain code, despite the common belief that code is purely logical and emotion-free. She explores how fear, arrogance, selfishness, and laziness manifest in coding practices, while also highlighting how confidence, humility, generosity, and hard work lead to better, more maintainable code. Gregory emphasizes understanding the emotional drivers behind code to foster empathy, improve team dynamics, and encourage writing code that reflects positive emotions, ultimately benefiting both developers and the quality of software.
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POURing Over Your Website: An Introduction to Digital Accessibility
Everyone knows that there are standards when it comes to building apps. And most people know that there are standards for accessibility. But did you know that writing accessible apps is better for everyone? Ashleigh shows you what to think about the next time you sit down to create something.
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Best Practices for Data Visualizations: A Recipe for Success
Helen shows you the ins and outs of creating really useful charts and graphs with Tableau. You’ll never make a boring old pie chart again.
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What Captain Marvel Can Teach Us About Management
Dian spends an evening re-watching Captain Marvel with a group of friends and they realize that there’s a lot more to that movie than just a rollicking good film.