Where do I start as a new or re-assimilating Visual Studio ALM Ranger?

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We have a new wave of new Visual Studio ALM Rangers joining us, many of whom I hope will soon appear on the Rangers Index. When you join a new organization it is often daunting to find your feet while plummeting through thick thunderstorms and expecting the ground to appear at any second (if you have the tendency to jump out of planes), or ascending in heavy seas, through zig-zagging schools of fish and expecting a metal object (ship) or cave overhang to appear any second (if you are a deep sea diver).

To cut a long story short, here are the “few” (7) steps you should follow when joining the Visual Studio ALM Rangers family:

  1. Introduce yourself on the Rangers Index … it is always great to match a face to a name and understand what make’s you tick :)
  2. Explore the Rangers portal, which is accessible to all Rangers, selected Visual Studio ALM MVPs and others.
    Make sure you read the following topics carefully (~15min effort):
    - Process
       - Rangers Project Management Process
       - PM Ground Rules
       - Ruck Ground Rules
       - Feature Area Lead Ground Rules
       - Reviews and Testing Ground Rules
       - HOL Ground Rules
       - Epic, Teams and Personas
    - General Links
       - Rangers Videos
       - Rangers Top 20 Projects Queue
       - External Visual Studio ALM Rangers DL
       - Rangers MSDN Site:   https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/teamsystem/ee358786.aspx
       - Rangers     Roles and Expectations - Visual Studio ALM Rangers – Roles … dusting off some cobwebs and uncertainties
  3. Install and configure Controlled Vocab … the Rangers are a collaborative family!
  4. Make contact with the Rangers family.
  5. Become active in your projects of choice.
  6. NEVER go dark!
  7. Contact us if you feel we have gone dark or you have suggestion on improving our evolutionary and agile ecosystem.

If you would like to know more about the Rangers or how to join, peruse the presentation in this post.