Retiring from InstallShield Community

Over the last 7 years I've racked up over 4,000 posts on InstallShield Community helping out fellow setup developers. I did it mostly for my own benefit as I operate on the theory that if I help solve other people's problems I am really solving my own future problems. This has proven to be true in my experience as nearly every day I am able to snap solve problems while my peers just stare at me and ask "How in the world did you already know that?"

I also helped out over the years in the hope that I would build a personal brand and profit from it. This approach has worked but I always knew the effect would be marginal because when you help users on InstallShield Community you are helping fellow setup developers who are ( to put it simply ) your competition. At the same time, participation in InstallShield Community is ignored by Microsoft in terms of being recognized as a Windows Installer Expert.

While I won't go into the details, Flexera Software has recently contacted me with instructions to not discuss non-Flexera products in their forums. Well, that's their right to do so. However, as the saying goes: We all have a vote.

I don't blog to promote InstallShield, Microsoft, InstallAware or any other organization. I cover the good, bad and the ugly of all technologies and products interest me. Sometimes people love what I have to say and heap praise upon me and sometimes they don't want to hear what I have to say and instead make personal attacks in an attempt to marginalize my opinion. But in the end, I will always call it the way I see it.

So based on my diverse interests and my insatiable cravings to learn and help others it's time to move on. To put it simply, it's time for a bigger fish bowl.

You'll now find me at StackOverflow.com.