Great first step, very informative.. Now we just need a LINQ to SQL and LINQ to XML Best Practices document. :D

OK, lets start with the basics: Source Control is vitally important to software developers. If you are not using it shame on you! Go beat your head into a wall until you feel like complying. Really. Subversion, Source Safe, Team Systems, etc; Pick one and use it.

But I have two very petty complaints with the article:
1. Use of overly tiered title. Any title starting with "I, for one, welcome our new <insert noun here> overlords!" should be banned, and further use should lead to sanctions.
2. There is a freaking CAT in a SINK! Why? Because someone, somewhere, thought cats in odd places were cute -- and we have been paying for it ever since. The only redeeming quality about the cat is that the author did use the generally accepted animal speech: "IM N UR SINK, MAKEN IT DURTY".

The simplest way to setup subversion (that I have found): VisualSVN Server. They get everything up and running (subversion and apache) and give you a nice admin tool to go with it. And it is free.

http://www.visualsvn.com/server/

Of course, Anende wanted security (ssl), and I don't think VisualSVN Server does that...but if you don't need it, this is an excellent option.

Of course, you will still need VisualSVN ($50), TortoiseSVN (free), or Aknh (free) to check in on your desktop.

@powerrush - if it had wouldn't I have said "you have a bad font, therefor you must write bad code".

But seriously: think of the poor kid who reads a statement like that and foolishly things Times New Roman is l33t. He/she could be scarred for years.

Then again, does any kid say l33t anymore? Maybe some scarring would be good.

No self respecting programmer should ever use Times New Roman, Courier, or whatever font is used by default in Visual Studio for programming editor. That is a clear sign of not taking thing seriously (you have a bad font, therefor you must write bad code)

If you can't immediately tell the difference between 0 (zero) and O (capitol o), 1 (one) and l (lower l), as well as having clear differentiation between { [ ( and the rest of the special characters at low font size (I don't use a font size bigger than 9), throw the font away. Also, fixed width fonts ONLY!!! You are a programmer reading code for freak sake! Save the other fonts for your blogs.

See here for more detail on programmer fonts:
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000969.html
http://www.lowing.org/fonts/

Hmmm, Rob is looking for the adulation of Jeff Atwood.
I'm looking for the adulation of Rob.
I guess Jeff is my god now.

Glad you understand that now. BTW: a real hacker would do with the MVC framework to prove worthiness. :D

The auto update feature is nice for internal applications (used in a company).

But I haven't seen it used by anyone for applications they distribute. :(
Case in point: Reflector does not use it. CodeSmith doesn't use it.

But, if you are doing internal development: go for it. Works like a charm in that environment. :D

Now we just need to be able to stick it on a wall and use if for a white board.

At least I think it would be cool. A tabbed white board, and add a scrum board to one of the tabs, maybe a small red light--green light attachment for the build health (see continuous integration).

Project management on the wall!