Introducing the Visual Studio ALM Rangers – Robert Bernstein

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This post is part of an ongoing series of Rangers introductions. See An index to all Rangers covered on this blog for more details.

Who Are You?DSC_0167

I am a Senior Consultant in Microsoft’s US Public Sector Cyber Security team.  I develop software for a broad range of customers, often solving extremely challenging technical problems.  I am proud to work alongside a great group of people who I tell friends are like that 80’s TV show: “If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find us, then maybe you can hire... The A-Team.”

I got my start in computers in 1982 when I fell in love with my Commodore 64.  I soon discovered that some code written in BASIC didn’t perform well enough, so I picked up a book and taught myself how to write 6510 assembly language.  Years later, I discovered that Computer Science was a career option and that programming could be more than a hobby.  These days, I write most of my code in C# and C++.

I’m also a huge sci-fi fan, especially Doctor Who and the Star Wars movies.

What makes you “tick”?

I love working with computers, whether that means troubleshooting someone’s technical problems, writing software to make someone’s life simpler, or just helping someone find what they’re looking for on the Internet.

Where do you live?

I live with my wife and two cats in Northern Virginia, not far from Washington, D.C.  I love living here because there are always new things to see and do in this area and people come here from all over the world, allowing me to learn about all kinds of cultures.

Where is the place you call home?

I moved around a lot while growing up.  After more than 15 years in Virginia, it has definitely become my home.

Why are you active in the Rangers program?

I am particularly passionate about teaching other developers new ways to use the tools they already have, which is a big part of what attracted me to the Rangers.

What is the best Rangers project you worked in and why?

As I’m just getting started with the Rangers, I’m looking forward to reviewing and possibly writing additional Quickstart Guides for the next version of Visual Studio (“Dev 11”).  My hope is that I can help developers both new and seasoned get up to speed quickly on the new features of the

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