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.
4 comments:
Hi Chris,
We certainly value and appreciate your contributions to the community and would love for you to remain active and continue providing your valuable insights to other users.
Regards,
Chirag
Your posts on that site as well as others have helped me many times over the last few years. I never planned on going into Setup and Deployment development, but working in a small company and being designated as the only developer with "IT" skills in addition to development have found me being the primary installation developer here. I look forward to your insight in the future, wherever I may find it.
Hi Chris,
You have your reasons to move on. I'll certainly miss your excellent contributions on the InstallShield community site, but I'm glad to know that you'll be on StackOverflow. I'm pretty sure lot of users will move on with you and those who don't will surely miss you.
I personally thank you for having helped me in different ocassions, your advice has been really valuable.
Regards,
Juan Carlos
Maybe you should post on the InstallAware forums ;-) ?
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