A few points:

I understand what Todd Baesen is saying, but IMO, a logical career path for a technical person can include consulting and training. There are several things someone who wants to remain technical can do and still NOT be limited in income.

There's definitely satisfaction in managing a successful project, but I know several people who feel that not being involved in the implementation leaves them feeling empty. As I'm sure he realizes, Todd's efforts in trying to keep a capable person from leaving management isn't always best for everyone. Just because you may be good at something, it does not mean you should be doing that job.

You only live once. Do what you know you love to do. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. It’s your life. It’s your soul.

I'm considering expanding on this topic, and the subject of moving back to development (and the challenges of starting in this field, in general) in a new podcast series. I put together a list of points I'd love to interview folks about:

http://markfreedman.com/index.php/2010/11/29/returning-to-development-from-management/

The download URL for the MP3 results in a 404.

Love it! :-)

I switched from a programming career to a management career. I was successful, and I even enjoyed helping develop the careers of others. But I found over time that I could not establish strong enough emotional boundaries, so I was emotionally exhausted. It was hard for me to recognize that management was not a good fit because my boss was pleased with my work and I enjoyed helping others. But that is not enough. It was not sustainable. Fortunately, my last boss was very enlightened. Once I made it clear to him what was happening, he helped me move into a programmer role again. I once again enjoy what I do and I have enough energy to enjoy my life outside work as well as my life at work. And I still get to use my people skills with customers and coworkers.

I encourage others to follow what fits. Even if you are good at something or enjoy it, you may not be able to sustain it.

Yes, it does seem an odd concept to be running beta for service packs.

An odd concept, that is, which seems very much necessary and appropriate.

We are definitely seen a trend of software becoming increasingly complex and I expect this trend to increase in intensity. It seems to be getting harder and harder for companies to release software without lots of bugs.

I guess MS is doing what they can to minimize them. Kudos to them.

Looking forward the the release. I'm particularly interested in the improved HTML5 support.