Who is Blake Stone? The answer changes over time with a recent dramatic change: I am now an architect at Microsoft focused on the future of software development. I'm just settling into the Seattle area and getting engaged in the whirlwind of creative thought at Microsoft. Previously I spent more than six years at Borland as the architect of JBuilder for numerous releases and then as CTO during the integration of StarBase and TogetherSoft's products into Borland's product line. There's no question I'm a technology junkie with a soft spot for "the good old days." I got my first taste with a Commodore PET, bought an Apple II shortly thereafter, fell in love with the original Mac, and by 1990 I was writing Windows code during the day and Objective-C on my NeXT at nights. Is there a trend? I'm inherently offended by having to solve predictable problems by hand, which drives me to seek simple solutions to complex problems. That path led from assembly to high level languages, through object-oriented development to component based systems and garbage collected virtual machines. The move to .NET is just a natural step along my search for easier ways to solve bigger problems in software. And of course there's the rest of life. I'm a complete hack as a musician but it's a hobby I thoroughly enjoy. I love the outdoors and am looking forward to cycling around the area, and in the darker months of winter I expect to rediscover skiing and indulge my console gaming habit. Most of all, I'm extremely devoted to my lovely wife Barbara who shares my passion for life, travel, wine, and everything geeky. |