Comments on: When Best Practices Aren’t Best Practices http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/ The Authorative Resource For SharePoint Security Articles, Research, Software, And Security Integration Consulting Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:38:00 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: What the heck are ‘Best Practices’? » Andy Burns’ SharePoint Blog http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-24502 What the heck are ‘Best Practices’? » Andy Burns’ SharePoint Blog Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:03:05 +0000 http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/blog/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/#comment-24502 [...] Adam Buenz is talking about ‘When Best Practices aren’t Best Practices‘ [...] [...] Adam Buenz is talking about ‘When Best Practices aren’t Best Practices‘ [...]

]]> By: Adam Buenz http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-18598 Adam Buenz Tue, 30 Dec 2008 02:38:26 +0000 http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/blog/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/#comment-18598 Jeremy: Excellent point! Governance is definitely another buzzword that I think has little, however some, pragmatic backing. Sometimes when it is discussed I question whether it is mostly an esoteric concept, although cultivating an important idea that should be backed into the products. IMHO, governance can ONLY be solved with creative tooling that enforces tailored governance initiatives. Policies help, but rules are meant to be broken! I sense another post coming :) God, the project you reference sounds just plain awful BTW. I might have thrown sand in their eyes and fled on foot once they said that. I haven't checked out sharepointdevwiki.com but I will this evening. Sounds awesome! Jeremy:

Excellent point! Governance is definitely another buzzword that I think has little, however some, pragmatic backing. Sometimes when it is discussed I question whether it is mostly an esoteric concept, although cultivating an important idea that should be backed into the products. IMHO, governance can ONLY be solved with creative tooling that enforces tailored governance initiatives. Policies help, but rules are meant to be broken! I sense another post coming :)

God, the project you reference sounds just plain awful BTW. I might have thrown sand in their eyes and fled on foot once they said that.

I haven’t checked out sharepointdevwiki.com but I will this evening. Sounds awesome!

]]> By: Jeremy Thake http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-18593 Jeremy Thake Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:08:53 +0000 http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/blog/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/#comment-18593 Adam, I totally agree with you. Not all solutions need the degree of complexity that some "Best Practices" dictate. Its like the other SharePoint word pushed around "Governance". This is partly due to the community chanting it and also Microsoft themselves. "Standards" is another word bleated around too. From my point of view there are some things that you should ALWAYS do such as disposing of objects (all what Eric Shupps mentioned basically). I tend to use these words, as others have mentioned above, to push more time to "do things properly" rather than throw things together which SharePoint does so well, but in the long run trips you up and doesn't just graze your knee but breaks your leg! I recently came across one where I originally pushed SharePoint Solution Packages, but in house they only had XHTML skills. So we had to move to a Web UI/SharePoint Designer implementation for support and maintenance reasons. We did however point out the limitations of this approach and the risks they face later on in "hacking" SharePoint with this approach. The reason I started SharePointDevWiki.com was to try and put all the possible approaches in one place with guidance on which one is appropriate for various scenarios...not to just push one as the ultimate approach. Adam, I totally agree with you. Not all solutions need the degree of complexity that some “Best Practices” dictate. Its like the other SharePoint word pushed around “Governance”. This is partly due to the community chanting it and also Microsoft themselves.
“Standards” is another word bleated around too. From my point of view there are some things that you should ALWAYS do such as disposing of objects (all what Eric Shupps mentioned basically).
I tend to use these words, as others have mentioned above, to push more time to “do things properly” rather than throw things together which SharePoint does so well, but in the long run trips you up and doesn’t just graze your knee but breaks your leg!
I recently came across one where I originally pushed SharePoint Solution Packages, but in house they only had XHTML skills. So we had to move to a Web UI/SharePoint Designer implementation for support and maintenance reasons. We did however point out the limitations of this approach and the risks they face later on in “hacking” SharePoint with this approach.
The reason I started SharePointDevWiki.com was to try and put all the possible approaches in one place with guidance on which one is appropriate for various scenarios…not to just push one as the ultimate approach.

]]> By: Sahil Malik http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-18372 Sahil Malik Wed, 24 Dec 2008 02:05:33 +0000 http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/blog/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/#comment-18372 Well, it is a best practice no? Unless you can convince me that it is a security feature! Well, it is a best practice no? Unless you can convince me that it is a security feature!

]]> By: Adam Buenz http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-18290 Adam Buenz Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:35:45 +0000 http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/blog/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/#comment-18290 You are never going to let that link thing go are you Sahil. :) You are never going to let that link thing go are you Sahil.

:)

]]> By: Sahil Malik http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-18289 Sahil Malik Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:26:09 +0000 http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/blog/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/#comment-18289 If every best practice was applicable verbatium quo, we'd be doing better things. So I totally agree with your post, but there is still value in learning best practices. So, when are you fixing the dark blue links on the dark gray background? If every best practice was applicable verbatium quo, we’d be doing better things. So I totally agree with your post, but there is still value in learning best practices.

So, when are you fixing the dark blue links on the dark gray background?

]]> By: Adam Buenz http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-18287 Adam Buenz Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:39:16 +0000 http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/blog/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/#comment-18287 Micheal: I can agree that it is more important to focus on the business end, however I don't agree that you can't pay attention to the technology being implemented at a company as a result of that focus. I believe this is an important part about any IT strategy, otherwise the business "blinders" might shelter important concepts and issues. Haaron: I suppose I *sort of* understand that it may be a marketing term, but in that case it is also a dangerous one. I agree proven practice makes a lot more sense, it solely demonstrates that it is the approach that has worked. However, best practice already seems ingrained so must be compensated for. Micheal:

I can agree that it is more important to focus on the business end, however I don’t agree that you can’t pay attention to the technology being implemented at a company as a result of that focus. I believe this is an important part about any IT strategy, otherwise the business “blinders” might shelter important concepts and issues.

Haaron:

I suppose I *sort of* understand that it may be a marketing term, but in that case it is also a dangerous one. I agree proven practice makes a lot more sense, it solely demonstrates that it is the approach that has worked. However, best practice already seems ingrained so must be compensated for.

]]> By: Haaron Gonzalez http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-18268 Haaron Gonzalez Sun, 21 Dec 2008 21:28:11 +0000 http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/blog/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/#comment-18268 Adam, when people use the term best practice, to me is used for marketing purposes. And also customers or clients need to hear that term when they are going to hire a consultant. To me I try to use the term proven practice, I think is more accurate and realistic, because shows the real experience I have been collecting over the years. This best practices issue is not just for SharePoint projects are also for .NET and others. All the best. Adam, when people use the term best practice, to me is used for marketing purposes. And also customers or clients need to hear that term when they are going to hire a consultant. To me I try to use the term proven practice, I think is more accurate and realistic, because shows the real experience I have been collecting over the years. This best practices issue is not just for SharePoint projects are also for .NET and others.
All the best.

]]> By: Michael L Perry http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-18264 Michael L Perry Sun, 21 Dec 2008 16:35:10 +0000 http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/blog/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/#comment-18264 It is inevitable with a platform as complex as SharePoint that people will fall into this trap. In many cases, there is little rhyme or reason why one practice would be "the right one". The differences between the options is usually subtle, with tradeoffs that are hard to observe or measure. So people turn to the experts in the community rather than trying to unravel the complexity on their own. You can't blame them for focusing on their own core business rather than the technology. And you can't tell them not to blindly implement best practices and expext them to change their ways. The best we can do is try to find abstractions that work, and simplify this complex platform. It is inevitable with a platform as complex as SharePoint that people will fall into this trap. In many cases, there is little rhyme or reason why one practice would be “the right one”. The differences between the options is usually subtle, with tradeoffs that are hard to observe or measure.

So people turn to the experts in the community rather than trying to unravel the complexity on their own. You can’t blame them for focusing on their own core business rather than the technology. And you can’t tell them not to blindly implement best practices and expext them to change their ways. The best we can do is try to find abstractions that work, and simplify this complex platform.

]]> By: When Best Practices Aren’t Best Practices http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/comment-page-1/#comment-18262 When Best Practices Aren’t Best Practices Sun, 21 Dec 2008 14:08:57 +0000 http://www.sharepointsecurity.com/blog/sharepoint/when-best-practices-aren%e2%80%99t-best-practices/#comment-18262 [...] » When Best Practices Aren’t Best Practices Technorati Tags: sharepoint posted on Sunday, December 21, 2008 8:01 AM [...] [...] » When Best Practices Aren’t Best Practices Technorati Tags: sharepoint posted on Sunday, December 21, 2008 8:01 AM [...]

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