Farewell .NET

I voluntarily left Microsoft in April last year. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I’ve never regretted it for one second. One of my goals, upon leaving, was to have a clean break and stop using all Microsoft software. This generallly wasn’t a problem. I rarely used Windows, and when I did I found it infuriating. It’s been easy not to use Windows when you don’t have a Windows install. I did however use Word, Excel, and Outlook on a daily basis. I instantly stopped using them, and have since used their Mac equivalents (Pages, Numbers, Mail) which have all been perfect for my needs. I’d also come to develop a loathing for Visual Studio. With the loss of Windows, my Visual Studio use also stopped.

This only left VS Code and .NET. I continued using them for the rest of last year, but as time progressed I realised that they’re both a big source of teeth grinding for me and that I have zero need for either of them in my life. I’ve been a .NET user for most of my working life, and it felt natural to continue using it. But going forward, it actually serves no useful purpose for me and I find myself pretty happy at the thought of never using it again.

So that’s it. I’ve finally achieved what I wanted - a divorce from Microsoft. It feels damn good and it’s made me happy.

Why am I mentioning this? Well, it means a change of focus for the blog. No more .NET-based content. The blog will continue, but it’ll be focussed on embedded development and it’s intersection with electronics.