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8. Scott and Mark Learn To... The History of Cloud
35:47||Season 1, Ep. 8In this episode of Scott and Mark Learn To, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich explore the evolution of cloud computing, tracing its roots from the early days of Azure to its transformation into a powerful, flexible platform. Mark explains the shift from "pets" (individual servers) to "cattle" (easily replaceable servers) as cloud infrastructure became more scalable and cost-efficient. They discuss the challenges of scaling websites, from physical data centers to cloud-based solutions, and the economic and technical factors that led to the rise of multi-tenancy and on-demand services. The episode also highlights Azure’s adoption of Linux and the broader embrace of open-source technologies, marking a key shift in Microsoft’s cloud strategy. The conversation reflects on how modern cloud services abstract away complex infrastructure management, much like the simplification seen in programming languages with garbage collection. Takeaways: Why cloud existed in the first place and how it evolved Difference abstraction leads to different services, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS Microsoft’s strategic decisions in the history of Azure, like embracing Linux and opensource technologies Resources: The Mind Behind Windows: Dave Cutler Microsoft Volume I: The Complete History and Strategy of founding through Windows 95 (Audio) Microsoft Volume II: The Complete History and Strategy of the Ballmer Years (Audio) Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn on YouTube Listen to other episodes at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts
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7. Scott and Mark Learn To... Find Joy in Hobbies
26:14||Season 1, Ep. 7In this episode of Scott and Mark Learn To, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich dive into the topic of hobbies and how they balance tech work with leisure activities. Mark opens up about his long-time love for the Battlefield video game series, where he’s spent countless hours playing multiplayer, while Scott shares his passion for retro gaming on his Steam Deck. The conversation explores their favorite games, including Half-Life: Alyx, and how gaming serves as a much-needed release. They also discuss their non-tech hobbies—Mark’s unexpected talent for drawing, which he picked up again during COVID, and Scott’s thoughts on how AI and nerd sniping influence their spare time. The episode offers a fun and candid look into how these tech giants unwind and keep their creativity flowing. Takeaways: How people assume successful tech professionals only engage in computer-related hobbies AI research as a hobby, focusing on gamifying challenges to fuel passion for problem-solving Mark shares his Star Wars props, including a Darth Vader helmet and Stormtrooper rifle Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn on YouTube Listen to other episodes at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts6. Scott and Mark Learn To… Take a Dump
26:03||Season 1, Ep. 6In this episode of Scott and Mark Learn To, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich delve into the critical developer skill of debugging crash dump files, both kernel dumps and application dumps. They start sharing insights from their experiences with blue screens and system crashes. They discuss tools like WinDBG ("Windbag") for analyzing dump files and demonstrate "Not My Fault," a tool for simulating crashes. Mark also showcases Procdump, highlighting its advanced features for capturing dumps with conditional triggers, such as high CPU usage or memory leaks, and explains why it outshines manual methods like Task Manager. Takeaways: How WinDbg and Visual Studio allow developers to analyze memory dumps as snapshots The need for developers to get comfortable with debugging Exciting possibilities for AI-assisted development in the near future Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn on YouTube Listen to other episodes at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Download the Transcript5. Scott & Mark Learn To... Undocumented APIs
18:36||Season 1, Ep. 5In this episode of Scott and Mark Learn To, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich delve into the intricate world of undocumented APIs, examining their associated risks and benefits. Mark shares his journey into reverse engineering, starting with the Apple II and evolving through his exploration of Windows internals. He elaborates on his PhD thesis on fault management, which sparked his interest in undocumented APIs. The conversation includes technical insights into disassembling and debugging, showcasing Mark’s development of his own disassembler and use of tools like SoftICE for kernel debugging. They also explore Microsoft’s rationale for keeping certain APIs undocumented, highlighting the importance of flexibility in system evolution without compromising application stability.Takeaways: Microsoft’s commitment to maintaining backward compatibility for older applications How contemporary systems manage small crashes to maintain long-term stability How Mark started his journey on Windows internal APIs Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn To on YouTube Listen & Subscribe at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcastsDownload the TranscriptScott & Mark Learn To... Skin Care
10:17|In this bonus episode of Scott & Mark Learn To, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich take a detour into the fabulous world of skincare, proving that everyone deserves a little TLC! With Scott both amused and bewildered by Mark's radiant complexion, they launch into a lively debate about grooming habits. From the champagne of shampoos to moisturizing rituals and the must-have essentials for looking sharp in the tech world, Scott and Mark share their best beauty tips. Plus, discover the profound truth that “you can’t have too many moisturizers”—unless you're Mark, who insists that sometimes, less is more! Takeaways: Mark's glowing skin leads Scott to question how old he really is The importance of skincare routines as a form of self-care A minimalistic routine vs a more extensive regimen and common misconceptions Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn To on YouTube Listen & Subscribe at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Download the Transcript4. Scott & Mark Learn To... Pick a Programming Language
23:34||Season 1, Ep. 4In this episode of Scott & Mark Learn To, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich dive into the quirks and philosophies of programming languages—debating the purpose of small languages, like Erlang, versus giants like JavaScript. Along the way, they discuss whether modern languages with hindsight (like Kotlin) are inherently better and reminisce about the good old days of writing code in C, Delphi, and even 6502 assembler. Mark reflects on transitioning to Rust for system-level code in Azure, marking a deliberate move away from C/C++. He highlights Rust’s ownership model, memory safety, and enforced concurrency as the game-changers. Meanwhile, Scott is poking fun at the oddities of language trends, including Python’s rise to dominance in machine learning. Takeaways: Rust’s key advantage with enforced memory safety Python’s dominance in AI due to its robust ecosystem not just its language features Why programming language selection is driven by ecosystems, tools, and personal preference Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Watch Scott and Mark Learn on YouTube Listen to other episodes at scottandmarklearn.to Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Download the Transcript
3. Scott & Mark Learn To... Use AI and Know AI Limitations
28:01||Season 1, Ep. 3In this episode of Scott & Mark Learn To, Scott Hanselman and Mark Russinovich explore the evolving role of AI in tech, from leveraging tools like GitHub Copilot to boost productivity in coding, to the potential pitfalls of over-reliance on AI. They discuss how AI is reshaping both education and professional development and reflect on the challenges of large language models (LLMs), including issues like hallucinations, indirect prompt injection attacks, and jailbreaks. Mark highlights how models, shaped by Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback (RLHF), can still produce unpredictable results, underscoring the need for transparency, safety, and ethical use in AI-driven systems. Takeaways: Whether reliance on AI affects one's foundational coding skills and overall efficiency How to balance continuous learning with maintaining expertise in technology fields AI models sometimes produce hallucinations and the importance of understanding how to effectively use these tools Who are they? View Scott Hanselman on LinkedIn View Mark Russinovich on LinkedIn Listen to other episodes at scottandmarklearn.to Watch Scott and Mark Learn on YouTube Discover and follow other Microsoft podcasts at microsoft.com/podcasts Download the Transcript