Microsoft has come up with a good example of how you should handle the process of deprecating data.

Have a look at my MVP profile here.

You'll see that in a lot of profile entries for speaking engagements, the string "RETIRED -- DO NOT SELECT" is shown. Why is that? Very simple: at some point the selection ".NET", for instance, was a valid one, but now it had to be changed. Of course there are approaches to retiring data that would have left the old strings in place, but then those mechanisms introduce considerable overhead in the data gathering process. As the strings that are shown now also include the old strings, there was no conceivable reason not to go the easy way.

Thanks to the unknown delevoper/db admin who published this great sample!

I apologize for the delay - with my computer dying and everything, it took me longer than it should have to make my slides and samples for the Basta sessions available here. They should also be available here (but aren't, yet) and each delegate will get sent a CD sooner or later - that's as much info as I have.

Anyway, here are the downloads for my sessions (some of them together with Ian Cooper):

C# 3.0 Workshop - Everything you need to know about C# 3.0 (1551978 bytes)

Einfuehrung zu C# 3.0 (1168992 bytes)

C# 3.0 - Interessante Use Cases ausserhalb von LINQ (644553 bytes)

Extensible LINQing (402259 bytes)

The future of C# and other .NET languages (838316 bytes)

Just a short update: the DHL guy just left. He did bring a box and a plastic bag to package the machine, as I was promised by the support guy yesterday, but he claimed I should have all the information that goes on the various stickers for the package... well, I don't. The Sony guy had told me that DHL would have all they need to handle things. Anyway, he took the package away, promised to deal with all the paper work later and return a receipt to me tomorrow (or so). I would have been hesitant about this, but as I know the guy - as well as you know your DHL delivery man, but at least it's always been the same man for the last 8 months - I guess it'll be alright like that. Wait and see, yet again.