The term "joeware" was originally coined by friends of mine who gave the name to a variety of utilities that I tended to create at a moment's notice to help solve technical issues. You often hear something isn't possible on Windows and in reality the issue is more often a lacking in the available tools. Microsoft has been notoriously bad about supplying good tools to help manage and retrieve information from Windows. I was fortunate enough to start my computer career writing code and when I later switched to being an administrator, that code writing skill came in more handy than ever because I could write tools when necessary to do things other administrators couldn't do because they were dependent on what others had produced.
In 2001 I decided to make the term more "official" and started the www.joeware.net website. I had been posting many of my utilities on personal web pages for several years but as I moved from internet provider to internet provider the utilities were moved and my "customers" had issues re-finding where the tools had been moved to since web search wasn't what it is now. It was only logical to register the name and set up the website.
I strive to produce tools that make life easier, more secure, and hopefully in some way nicer for myself and my fellow Windows administrators. I also push for new ideas and ways of looking at things. Maintaining the status quo is no way to make progress...
I am a "technical expert" / admin / tool writer who used to have a
"secret" identity as a Microsoft MVP for Windows Server Directory
Services until Microsoft made some internal decision that everyone
was going "Cloud". By day I work for a large unnamed Fortune X company and by
night I try to sleep. Somewhere in between I take time to chat with people
on email lists and newsgroups, write about stuff I know, and whip up
various fairly useful tools.
So
what is a Microsoft MVP? A Microsoft MVP is a person who has been
awarded by Microsoft for being a knowledgeable technology expert who
makes themselves available to help the community as whole. I was
initially awarded in 2001 and was awarded every year up through 2018 for
my experience and assistance with Windows Server. My "specialties", if
you will, are Directory Services/Identity/Security and Windows
Programming.
I enjoyed being an MVP, it is a period of life I am proud of. I am
sorry that Microsoft is confused about the future of computing and
the place on-premises systems still has in it.
You can read a more informal, hopefully humorous, and of course long-winded description of joe here.
You can check out my resume here.