Post-session material

For those who followed my SharePoint introduction session on the Microsoft SMB Roadshow, here are some links that will help you evaluate Microsoft Office SharePoint Server or Windows SharePoint Services:

  • the Microsoft “Fabulous 40” templates
  • a comparison of the different versions of SharePoint
  • a trial download of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server
  • a planning guide for your first SharePoint site

Versioning and Content Approval

A lot of SharePoint users are confused about when to use Content Approval and Major/Minor versions. And indeed, some functionality seems to overlap, especially the fact that you can hide draft/pending items from users with read access to the list/library.

Some considerations:

  • Think about your user: the more advanced the options you activate, the more complicated it will be to have something published in the library. And what happens if it is complicated? Yes, the file ends up on the C: drive or in the e-mail.
  • Content approval can be interesting in lists, as you do not have Major/Minor versions in lists, only in document libraries.
  • If you are using Content Approval and you need to approve an item, you need manage list permissions. The Approve items is for Major/Minor versions, and has nothing to do with content approval!

The return of Windows Mobile…

Some time ago, I attended the Windows Mobile Smack Down, a sneak preview of Windows Mobile 6.5. And it became very clear: my next device will probably be a Windows Mobile again. I had a Tytn II before my E71. A very powerful device, but practically unusable without the stylus. The fact that HTC added his own UI on top of Windows, is not really an elegant solution for me. And yes, one of the major improvements of 6.5? The usability with just your fingertip. That and a better personalisation are key features for me that I missed on previous windows mobile devices.

I will probably have to wait until september to get my hand on a new device with 6.5 preinstalled. As the hardware requirements seem to be different for this release, it is better to wait than to upgrade.

Matching the trends

What is good about spending 10 hours in a plane? You finally get the time to catch up on your reading. I read the Netlash trendrapport, and Stephen Downes’ The Future of online learning: ten years on.

Both reports were written from a different viewpoint and with a different scope, but it is interesting to see that they make similar observations:

  • Interaction will be key: wether it is called social learning, conversation or social networking, technology will facilitate  the fact that we can learn from each other.
  • Technology once seen as futuristic can break through: I wrote this in San Diego on a 300$ netbook, you might read this as an RSS feed on your iPhone. Virtualization and cloud computing will change the way we work and learn.
  • Connectivity and always-connected devices will allow us to interact with and learn continuously from people in our virtual network. 

The ones who manage to deal with all these changes and use them in a creative way will survive. At least one thing that did not change…