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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Read the Windows Installer SDK

I have a story that I'd like to share and I ask everyone to please not take it too seriously / literally.   With that out of the way, here goes.

I was at church the other day and they were doing a presentation of Bibles to third graders.  It was really exciting to see these little kids up there unwrapping their new found treasure. 

At some point there was an oath where the children and later the adults promised to read their Bibles. During this a comment was made by the that you won't always understand what you are reading but that you should keep reading it until one day you do.

One of my responsibilities at work is team professional growth.  I do all kinds of activities to keep everyone plugged in and learning but just like anything if life if you only listen for an hour a week you are never really going to get it.

So at the risk of sacrilege, I want to state:

Read your Windows Installer Bible!

Yes, it's a tough read that doesn't always make sense but read it every day anyways.  Apply it to what you do every day and one day soon those obscure notes sprinkled throughout will make sense.

Whenever I get a really hard problem, I am usually able to solve it really quickly because I took the time to read it over and over.  People sometimes look at me with amazement on how fast I fixed a problem but the truth is anyone who takes the time to learn it inside and out should be able to do it.  It just goes to show me that they haven't been reading their MSI SDK.

Try to make a commitment to yourself.  30 minutes a day for the next month.  You might be surprised what you learn.

1 comment:

  1. Don't forget the new testament:
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Definitive-Guide-Windows-Installer/dp/1590592972

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