Why are you reading this blog?

If you've been reading this blog since the beginning then you're probably aware of the reasons I started it.  At WinHEC last year I took note of the great conversations that were occurring between Microsoftees and their customers on blogs.  I decided the WDK team needed a blog.  The best blogs I had seen were group blogs.  The volume and quality of information you get from three or four minds is simply more than you get form one.  I came back from WinHEC on a mission to convince our team to start a team blog when Beta 1 shipped.  I failed but in the process I sold myself on the value of a blog to the WDK and its customers so much that I decided I must try creating one, even if it was only my mind contributing.

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I bring this up now because I see the MSDN blog stats for December just got posted.  It was back in August that this blog cracked the top 500.  I never expected to be in the top 500 of anything at Microsoft so that was pretty surprising.  After making zero posts in December I was afraid many of you would tune out.  Well, the numbers are in and some of them are actually UP from November.

I get regular comments such as “great blog,” “we find the information on your blog very useful,” etc.  I’d like to ask you to get a little more specific.  Why do you read this blog?  Is it the technical data on ASI, the DTM etc?  Is it the personal stories?  Is it my stock picking advice?  I know it’s not my humor.

I had some ideas what would provide value when I started the blog.  I’ve strayed from those in places in the interest of experimentation.  Please let me know what’s working for you and what isn’t.  As always, send an email if you’re not comfortable posting your thoughts in the public forum of the blog.

Thanks,

Craig