Re-Write of SingingEels About Half Way
(
Feb 13 2008 - 04:29:56 AM by
Timothy Khouri) - [
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It's been very difficult to spend time on Eels in the past few months as we've been very busy with "work work". But I'm glad to say that I'm a good half way through the re-write, and there are some nice new features on the way that will help developers learn about new technologies, and (most importantly) find the best resources for them.
New Categories: WCF, LINQ, C#
We're adding a few more categories (including the three mentioned above). The original five categories (SQL, ASP.NET, Architecture, Security and Standards) are good, but they don't cover all areas that a developer (or even web developer) should be looking at. As a result, a lot of articles have been written that don't have a proper home, and usually end up in the "Standards" section.
The addition of some new categories, as well as the new way we are handling categories (articles will be able to be a part of more than one) will allow a reader to more easily find the article he's looking for. Also, it will broaden the imagination of the authors to write on specific topics that they mignt not have considered as a "first class citizen" in the past (such as WCF - Windows Communication Foundation).
Find The Right Resources
Another new feature, and basically the "theme" of the redesign, is the notion of "People to Follow." As we spend time reading articles, blogs or other technical resources, we begin to identify a specific individual (or website) that proves to be the best (or one of the best) authorities on a particular subject.
We will be adding those people to our database and provide links to their sites/blogs when you are looking at an article, category or blog post that is on a topic that those people are known for. This is a neat feature that encourages learning and community growth (even if it's beyond the SingingEels community).
Back End Updates
Lastly, probably the biggest update on SingingEels won't be seen at all by most people. We've switched .NET 3.5. Now, while that doesn't say very much, it basically means that we are determined to keep up with the latest technologies so that we don't fall behind. Also, it's one thing to write an article "in theory", but it's another thing to practice what you preach. I tend to find that people who write about technologies that they are actually using have the best understanding of the subject.