Contact Bill at
 

Questions

Do you have a technical question that you think Bill can answer? Well, the best way to ask it is through one of the Microsoft-sponsored newsgroups where he regularly visits. This way everyone in the news group can see the question and any response--and make sure he's right. Bill tries to spend some time every day answering questions and offering advice on the newsgroups, so it's best not to send him mail directly--unless you have purchased one of his books.

If you're a book owner, you can visit www.hitchhikerguides.net for immediate help. Bill tries to answer questions asked in this forum as quickly as possible.

Bill also frequents the following newsgroups--usually several times a day:

For ADO.NET issues: microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.adonet

For ADO "classic" issues: microsoft.public.data.ado and microsoft.public.vb.ado

For VB database issues: microsoft.public.vb.database

For MSDE or SQL Express issues: microsoft.public.sqlserver.msde

For SQL Server Compact Edition (SQLCe) issues: microsoft.public.sqlserver.ce

To see if your question has already been asked and answered (many have), use Google "Groups".

To subscribe to a newsgroup (it's free!)

Using Outlook Express: The benefit of subscribing is that the newsgroup is included in your Folders list for easy access. You can subscribe to a newsgroup in any of the following ways:

• When you add a news server, Outlook Express prompts you to subscribe to newsgroups on that server.
• Click a news server name in your Folders list, and then click Newsgroups. Select the newsgroup that you want to subscribe to, and then click Subscribe. You can also unsubscribe here. When you double-click a name in the Newsgroup list, a subscription is automatically generated.

• When you view a newsgroup without subscribing to it, its name appears in your Folders list. Right-click the name and then click Subscribe. For more information about viewing a newsgroup without subscribing to it, click Related Topics below.
• To view a newsgroup you subscribe to, click its name in the Folders list.