Microsoft Interview Questions

Microsoft Interview Questions

This webpage had a list of questions that have been asked by Microsoft in interviews, some are really quite intense questions!!!

"Here's a question for Slashdot readers: Why do you care what web browser/email client/etc people use? What do you care if Firefox catches on or not? Why do some people feel the need to convert others to their pet applications? Personally, I am a convert to Firefox/Thunderbird, but I understand that many users are happy with their Microsoft products; I'll mention what I use and why, but I won't harangue them on their apps' shortcomings, nor will I try to push an unfamiliar open source app on someone who is more comfortable with a 'mainstream' product. Some open-source proponents can be quite obnoxious about this, and I'm interested to hear why it is taken so seriously."

-- mack knife

I totally agree with mack knife on this one. I get really sick of people who are in love with a particular application and think your moronic if you don't use it. I love Gaim, an instant messenger application and I gladly tell people about its kewlness. But at times I still recommend the official MSN Messenger application to people.

Users who push their applications on other people, have made the application a religion for themselves.

Snails are Faster Than ADSL

קצה - RIM - Ami Ben-Bassat's Blog

This article made me realise how awesome the snail is, however, the Penguin still rules!

Comments are More Important than Code

Slashdot | Comments are More Important than Code

I don't care WHO you are! If you are a programmer who can't comment, one time or another your going to regret it!

In my opinion, a good application should be like a well built house. You pay someone to build the house, then in most cases you never see that person again. One day you want to add an extension - you get someone else to do it, and they can do it because the plans for the house show accurately where the joins can be made and what can be pulled out without the house falling down.

Comment clearly and precisely, and the next person to look at your code will love you.

PDF Competitor

Slashdot | Microsoft to Introduce PDF competitor 'Metro'

This could be looking to be a good turn. I'm found of file formats that are based on XML. It worries me somewhat though, that even if the format is free and open, Microsoft will probably accelerate the format so quickly that the only way to create decent documents will be to use their software. Much like what the .DOC format is - OpenOffice can open it, but we've all been in the situation where we've tried to open a document and there are sections missing.

Reality vs Unreal

There's a game engine called the Reality Engine that's claiming to be the latest and greatest. From what I've read it sounds like the engine is taking on a lot of new features that are very next-gen, really does look very cool.

I'm not sure whether its going to take Unreal's position though. Unreal, if you don't know much about it, is one of the dreams engines one can only hope to use or work on. It provides most next-gen features before other engines and does it all using a virtual machine (similar to Java's VM) for platform independence.

Time will tell when we see games released using the two engines :), but that will be a little while, 2006.

Linux Can't Kill Windows

Linux Can't Kill Windows was the title of the article I just read on Slashdot, and I totally agree with it. Linux may be faster and more reliable, but will never reach over Windows. Theres never been a time when the world was driven by hardcore users who know what's best. Its driven by those who use what they are told to use, buy what they are told to buy and conform to what millions of others have already.

Reverse Engineering Code

Have you ever been in one of those situations where you have the latest and greatest algorithm, or you are creating a unique architecture and you want the intellectual property protected? I'm sure any programmer has.

So whats the big deal, you code the application, compile it and nobody knows how you did it right? Well its always been possible to reverse engineer code, but with Java and .NET applications its even easier because of the bytecode they generate. Sure obfuscators can make your code less readable, but any half-decent programmer can still figure it out.

The biggest problem with Java and .NET is the large use of APIs. It is possible to determine what an application is doing and how its coded from watching its API function calls. Easily done in Java because of the JNPI (Java Native Profiling Interface) that allows you to watch function calls.

So next time your using Java and .NET, just make sure you keep in mind what you may be exposing.

Hint: Coding your own version of the Java API and using an obfuscator can make the API calls harder to recognise.

Website Thumbnails

Website thumbnail viewer. I got bored and made a useless webpage that shows you a thumbnail picture (generated by Thumbshots.org) of a website.

Go to http://www.google.com.tuple.shokem.com/~lmccul04/web/web.html.

Whatever domain you put in front of the subdomain tuple, will be the webpage thumbnail that is shown.

Worked on assignments today, and had a very productive meeting for RAGE. Good but mentally tiring day :).

Thinking I might go to CodeCampOz if I can convince a couple friends to come with me. I need to expand my knowledge on .NET, plus it would be good to hear what developers have to say.

Continued my search for enlightenment on database modelling today =P. Got through a lot of content - normalization actually looks like something useful (if not vital) now. I've had a lot of trouble finding a free program that can draw ERDs though? I'm going to have to use a commercial trial (Case Studio) instead.

Got a bit pissed off when I found out there was a Residential School last week for my database subject. I didn't know about it because I'm enrolled in a different subject (one for non-first year students) and so we obviously don't get the notice about the school.

I decided to be really idiotic today: While on the phone, I knocked one of my laptops off its pirch (it sits on top of a cupboard in my room - a server box basically). Before I was able to catch the laptop, it hit my desk lamp, knocking it onto the ground resulting in glass. Thankfully I was able to catch the laptop before it hit the ground.

I tried out another voice application tonight, Firefly. It was superb!!! Download and use it now!!!

Nerd Attention Deficiency Disorder

Wow, I wonder if I've got NADD, quite possible, I always 'multitask' on the computer.

Nerd Attention Deficiency Disorder: I need rapid fire content delivery in short, clever, punch phrases. Stop reading right now and take a look at your desktop. How many things are you doing right now in addition to reading this column? Folks, this isn’t multi-tasking. This is advanced case of Nerd Attention Deficiency Disorder. I am unable to function at my desktop unless I’ve got, at least, five things going on at the same time. If your count came close, you’re probably afflicted, as well.

-- Article: Internet Anxiety Disorder Anyone?

Day of study it twas. Spent the whole day focusing on database models, relational tables, entity relationship diagrams. I'm practically an expert :).

Tested out a series of voice chat applications with Deline and James. Me on dialup, James on ADSL (same provider as me) and Deline using cable (different provider). Skype (http://www.skype.com/), although my favourite in the past, came out second best. Besides James microphone sucking, Skype worked perfectly between him and I. Didn't work too well between Deline and I though, there was literally 5+ seconds worth of lag. Engin (http://www.engin.com.au/) was much better in terms of stability. It never disconnected and most of the conversation with Deline came through clear, although there were some bad times. The big downside I found with Engin, was its interface. Skype acts a bit more like MSN, showing you when friends are online, but Engin acts more like a phone. Call someone and see if they are online basically. Resolution: Skype came out on top for those I know it works well with, Engin otherwise.

Warren Barfield - My Heart Goes Out

Well the song title has the word heart in it, could suggest a love song, and well in one sense it is. But not the typical type of love your probably thinking. Have a read of the lyrics, they are beautiful, sad and yet full of so much hope.

listen (mp3) | lyrics

I had one of those days which I planned perfectly, and everything would have gone fine, except a friend tempted me with something better to do than study. I spent most of the day playing Mordheim.
If you've played Warhammer, its like that, except you have a small band of heros/henchmen, not an armies worth. It was fun, and I'd definately do it again - in fact I intend to, even though I got pulverised in the game today.

Sex sells - will it ever slow down?

New Scientist: Teenagers Special: Going all the way (article)

Sex is such a vital part of society, I know so many people who look down on you for being a virgin. Its become a status icon, the more you do, the higher you are. Every car tv-ad comes equipped with a beautiful-busty-half-naked young lady, the latest channel Ten (Australian Free-to-Air TV Channel) ad for football is all focus on the latest player and how sexy he is.

Hollywood are worse, I can't watch a decent action/slasher/martial-arts flick without finding a sex scene. A friend once described sex in hollywood movies as: "Hi my names...*clothes off, in bed*."

Your thinking, "who cares - what's wrong with that - sex is apart of life." I hear you there, its far from an evil thing - God designed and created it afterall. But its become used by the commercial world. Socially its become as casual as going out for a drink, "I'll take a brumbee/brunette tonight thanks".

If you have a look at that article they are talking about reasons for teenagers having sex so early and STD and pregnancies as the result. The article shows so many ways of trying to solve the problem with sex education, but never does society think to consult the origin of the problem.

Study?

Study study study. Been playing with digital tv, I can't get Prime yet. All other channels are cool though.

For some reason a few of my audio cd's have stopped working, its a bit dissapointing =(.

I'm going to start playing Dragonlords, a new turn based strat a friend pointed me to. Check it out: http://lordsofconquest.com/dragon/.

Random cool pic.

Bum Bum Bum

Spent most of the day with friends just bumming around - for once literally bumming, we couldn't find anything to do besides lose stuff in other peoples backyards lol.

I need to find an amp! Turns out James gave his brothers amp back to him, so now I'm short one =(. If you have one and you live within closeness of me, contact me immediately!

Got some of my dynamics assignment done. The subject content is intense, but the assignments aren't that big-a-deal. Other students who got a-hold of last years assignments, reckon they aren't that different. It'll still be hard to get a HD though.

Should it be disturbing if someone that must be atleast 10+ years older than you is checking you out?

A blog

Well what do you know. For the first time in history I actually create a blog. Not sure why. It will probably be one of those fads that disappears, but will I'll relive whenever I'm bored. Not that often.