Web2.0Central has a list of 13 reasons developers should CONSIDER (their caps, not mine) using Microsoft for web apps. Among the list that I disagree with, bolded is theirs, the comments are mine:
2. Free Database Which I would add the word “crippled” between those two words like many of Microsoft’s free developer tools. It’s curious that the author goes on to list reasons I would be against using SQL Server Express for most, if not all projects. If you want to do custom deployment for your application, although web apps are not a good example of course, Visual Studio Express tools are not for you. It’s a good thing they offer some kind of database, but this developer would rather use PostgreSQL or MySQL than plan for the day the app can no longer run on SQL Server and the Microsoft cash registers will be ready to hold the application hostage.
3. Microsoft Atlas makes AJAX easier. I’m not sure who decided that javascript and XML were so difficult that expensive (in terms of weight and size, not dollars) libraries needed to be created and deployed and now used as potential selling points to developers. Rasmus Lerdorf, creator of PHP, debunked this myth over a year six months ago writing:
Web 2.0 and the programmable web that I and others have been talking about for a while has mostly been vapourware so far.
Interestingly enough, Rasmus works for Yahoo which created a set of AJAX-powered UI tools and he added an addedum to his original post to include the Yahoo UI tools:
What I was hoping to get across here is a simple example of how you can use PHP as-is, without additional complex external layers, to apply an MVC approach with clean and simple views and still have all the goodness of fancy Web 2.0 features. If you think I am out to personally offend you and your favourite framework, then you have the wrong idea. I just happen find most of them too complex for my needs and this is a proposed alternative. If you have found a framework that works for you, great.
My experience using these type tools has not been as favorable as just writing the raw code which is usually much, much smaller and less bulky as Rasmus had originally pointed out. That doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s a good idea that Microsoft and Yahoo offer these tools to developers, however, I don’t see it as a compelling reason to switch.
5. Microsoft solutions can scale..
I have heard and talked to people who swear this is true but I’ve never experienced this firsthand because all of our servers are UNIX-based and 99% of the customers/clients I work with also use servers running some form of Linux. Clearly, I’m inexperienced with Windows servers, so I’m just throwing out user experience as a guide, not developer experience. Also, I’m reminded of recent events like Microsoft releasing their betas for download and experiencing — see screenshot above — of errors from programs because of server load. Scaling? Sorry, although their MySpace example is definitely compelling, not sure I buy this one.
7. Ray Ozzie. I’ve never used Groove so Ozzie bringing these features to Microsoft products is supposed to impact me as a developer how? The post points out two examples that were good for making Microsoft more open:
innovations like Live Clipboard & Simple Sharing Extension are important plumbing in the Web 2.0 world and by contributing these ideas in an open manner is a sign of Microsoft being a better corporate citizen.
Hooray for adding an additional RSS extenstion and making it open. Live clipboard is cool, though.
8. Robert Scoble. Come on. I like Robert, read Robert’s blog regularly, have met Robert a few times, think he’s a good blogger and think he’s underpaid as a Microsoft PR-type guy but his blog hasn’t motivated me one iota to develop using more Microsoft products/services. He has taken some interesting Channel 9 videos but I believe Robert’s value is less to developers, even though he works in the C9 area, than it is to the overall face of Microsoft the company. I’ve said this before, give him a raise, but don’t put him in a list of reasons developers should CONSIDER using Microsoft.
9. Being based on the Microsoft platform doesn’t limit your acquisition options. I think Writely is a bad example, not a good one. This says to me that Google made a bad investment, not that an ASP-powered web service in any way betters the chance of being acquired. This isn’t saying Writely is a bad product and would be better if it didn’t use ASP, but I disagree that any online wordprocessor that I’ve seen/used/tested is superior to the traditional desktop wordprocessors. I’d much rather use any version of Word than Writely.
12. Microsoft has good development resources. I would agree with this one except to add that the resources they provide are far too scattered. I often use Google to find the developer answers I need. On the bright side, search has been improving.
13. Microsoft speeds web application development. Even the author doubts this one and so do I. Let’s take making a ’simple’ Microsoft Gadget vs. creating a Google Module. I was able with zero learning time to create a full blown keno game as a Google module. I’m only able to create slightly more advanced versions of Hello World in the Microsoft Gadget environment with the same amount of zero learning to build time. That’s not speedy web application.
To add to this frustration, Microsoft still to this day says the gadget SDK is experimental and subject to change, so why should I get involved, learn and build, and then have to redo/change my app to comply with the version they decide upon? I would like to build Live gadgets, but at what price in future development time? Make up your mind, Microsoft, find a format, lock it down, and then we can compare if it actually speeds web application development.
Hat tip to Pete from RasterWeb who has an item by item counter for the CONSIDER list.
Not all developers hate Microsoft
I don’t hate Microsoft, although some of my writing might make it seem that way. My whole family, save for our youngest, travels up to Redmond to help beta test products and we enjoy doing so (also like getting ‘paid’ in software). I wanted to go to Search Champs, was excited and delighted to be chosen, and I continue to be involved there as much as the opportunities arise. In fact, just last night I signed up for something in beta that was offered via the private search champs mailing list. Within an hour of seeing that invite, I went in and spent time using the product and offering feedback. I like the employees, although I strongly believe some of them deserve to be shown the door instead of given towels. I really would like to use Microsoft more in my web development but I’m just not there yet. This doesn’t mean I’m close-minded and will never be there, just not there yet. I do like using Microsoft for desktop development and I think Visual Studio 2005 is a very good product. The consider list doesn’t do it for me despite having a few favorable points there, which are the points I didn’t list, BTW.
What am I missing here? Why should small developers like me move web development time in Microsoft’s direction?
