Developer Blog | Colin Mackay

Technical articles on .NET development, SQL Server, web programming, and software engineering best practices.

Last updated: January 2026

Development notes, technical articles, and practical solutions from over a decade of professional software development. Covering .NET, SQL Server, web technologies, and software engineering best practices.

About This Blog

This blog has been running in various forms since 2006, originally on a DotNetNuke installation. It served as a place to document solutions to technical problems, share development tips, and maintain notes for future reference.

The site has evolved through several hosting configurations and technology stacks. For those interested in web performance optimization, understanding modern protocols like HTTP/3, QUIC, and Brotli compression can make a significant difference in site speed without requiring major infrastructure changes.

Over the years, the content has covered:

  • .NET Framework and .NET Core development
  • SQL Server programming and administration
  • Web application development
  • Software architecture and design patterns
  • Development tools and productivity tips

The most popular articles have been preserved and updated where appropriate. Some older content has been retired where the technologies involved are no longer in common use.

Recent Articles

Getting Started with .NET Development

Introduction to .NET development fundamentals and setting up your development environment.

.NET Framework Overview

Understanding the .NET Framework architecture and core components.

Visual Studio Tips and Tricks

Productivity tips for working with Visual Studio IDE.

C# Language Basics

Fundamental concepts of the C# programming language.

Working with Classes and Objects

Object-oriented programming concepts in C#.

Collections in .NET

Understanding and using collection types in .NET.

Categories

Development Notes

Technical articles on software development, programming techniques, and best practices.

Browse the Archive

Looking for older content? Browse through the archive by year:

Looking for Something Specific?

Many of the most valuable technical articles have been reorganised into the main site for easier discovery: