Summary: Learn how (and why) to register for the 2012 Windows PowerShell Scripting Games.

Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson, is here. Well, the 2012 Scripting Games start in six days. I found this out by using the following code:

New-TimeSpan -Start "March 27,2012" -End "April 2, 2012"

The output from the previous command returns a System.TimeSpan object, as shown in the image that follows.

Why you should sign up for the 2012 Scripting Games

At the Charlotte IT Pro Appreciation Day, I was asked again and again why someone should sign up for the 2012 Scripting Games. There are actually several reasons—all predicated on learning Windows PowerShell. (You should begin by reading Why It Is Important for IT Pros to Learn PowerShell). After you agree that you should learn Windows PowerShell, the next question is, “What is the best way to learn Windows PowerShell?” This is where the 2012 Scripting Games comes into play.

Back when I was at the University, I had a good friend who was from Cuba. Every morning, we would get up early and run before our morning classes. All semester, I kept intending to learn Spanish. We would talk about various vocabulary words as we ran, but I really did not learn much Spanish that semester. It was not until the following semester when I signed up for Spanish 101, that I really began to learn Spanish. This is because I had a vocabulary quiz each day, and therefore, I put more effort into learning.

In addition to the motivation to learn, the 2012 Scripting Games also provide recognition and feedback on your progress learning Windows PowerShell. There is also the chance to win great prizes, which include a free pass to 2012 TechEd and hundreds of other prizes.

Take a quiz every day for two weeks

With the 2012 Scripting Games, you will in effect, have a quiz every day for two weeks. The quiz takes the form of each Scripting Games event. This is your time to commit to learning Windows PowerShell. The ten events will give you added motivation to learn. After you have spent time creating solutions to the ten events, you will naturally want to see the ten expert solutions to the events so that you can compare your work with that of the experts. You might also want to see what your peers come up with when their solutions are revealed seven days after the event first appears.

Take a quiz even if you don’t sign up for the games

Even if you do not sign up for the 2012 Scripting Games, you might want to take a Windows PowerShell quiz. I have two series of training videos and two Windows PowerShell quizzes. You can access the quizzes and the two video series from the Scripting with Windows PowerShell page.  In addition, you should work your way through the 2012 Scripting Games Study Guide, and the study guides for the previous year’s Scripting Games. You can find the links to the study guides from 2012 Windows PowerShell Scripting Games: All Links on One page.

Here is how you sign up for the 2012 Scripting Games

Now that you know why you need to sign up for the 2012 Scripting Games, I am going to ask the Scripting Wife to come help us get signed up for the games. (I would do it, but I am a judge, so it would not be fair.)

I pick up my Windows 7 phone and call the Scripting Wife. The nice thing about our phone provider is that phone-to-phone calls are free on the same service plan. So we use our Windows 7 phones sort of like an intercom or like a walkie-talkie at home. It prevents yelling—which just seems a bit rude. We also use our phones to send SMS messages to each other when we are dining out, but that is another story.

The Scripting Wife appears at the door to my office, and I greet her with an affectionate and heart felt greeting.

“I need you to come over here, so we can get you registered for the 2012 Scripting Games,” I exclaim.

“What, no ‘Hi, how are you doing?’ No ‘I have a special surprise for you today’? No nothing…just come over and get signed in,” she complained. ”How wude!”

“Sorry. Hey, why don’t you come over, I have a special surprise for you,” I said smiling.

“Too late, I already know what it is. The sign-up page for the 2012 Scripting Games is live,” she said.

“OK. You need to go to http://2012sg.poshcode.org/. When you get there, you need to click on the Log On button in the upper-right corner,” I said.

The Scripting wife typed http://2012sg.poshcode.org/ into Internet Explorer 9, and watched as the page navigated to the new PoshCode site for the 2012 Scripting Games. The 2012 Scripting Games PoshCode page appeared on her screen as follows, and she turned the monitor so I could see it.

The Scripting Wife pressed Log On and was presented with the PoshCode Multi-Protocol Authentication page that is shown here.

She then clicked the Profile button in the upper-right portion of the screen, just above the Search PoshCode box. This button is shown here.

When the Scripting Wife pressed the Profile button, the Edit Account Information page appeared. She changed her display name to ScriptingWife, and she added her Hotmail email address and the web address of her blog. She then clicked save. The Edit Account Information page is shown here.

That’s it. She then hit the Log Off button and closed Internet Explorer. The Scripting Wife is now registered for the 2012 Scripting Games. Scripting Games prep week will continue tomorrow.

I invite you to follow me on Twitter and Facebook. If you have any questions, send email to me at scripter@microsoft.com, or post your questions on the Official Scripting Guys Forum. See you tomorrow. Until then, peace.

Ed Wilson, Microsoft Scripting Guy