Re: New Era, VB, Delphi, PB
Tim Schaefer wrote: > > And there's one other thing to think about: People to support the > applications > you're deploying in New Era. Given the current flurry of constant > chanage and > new products, what will a developer say to themselves about New Era? > The big > question: How much time is is going to take for me to learn to use it > PROVIDED > I CAN GET MY HANDS ON IT, and where will I find work in it once I learn > it? > ( "Where are these New Era shops?", said the three wise men... ) > > And you employers, who will support your apps if NOBODY is learning it > or BUYING it? > HELLO! Who cares how great it is if there's nobody to take care of it, > unless all > the development is for apps nobody is using, or you're a VAR that found > a company > that doesn't know shit about software, and doesn't mind buying into > something that > ain't gonna be around. > > Sorry to rain on the parade, but buying software is also about feeding > the damn apps > after they're deployed. If you have an enterprise-wide app that takes a > year to deploy, > and half the staff turns over in the middle of the project, what do you > do then? The > project limps along till it dies, and then everyone says, "Geez, too bad > about that one, > it ran over on budget and they had to scrap it.". Or something else > comes along, people > get redirected, and the newbies come along, have to learn the app. > Management in their > downsized-greedy-penny-pinching-mind says no to training, and the app > dies a quiet death > at the hands of economics. If software requires a help desk, and > training maybe you > should think about why... > > See, if an enterprise is really serious about being a good steward of > their data, > they're going to think twice about buying into short-term technology. > They have a > responsibility to the company to make sure the software they write is > written with > tools and languages that aren't trendy or so damn proprietary and > expensive only oil > sheiks can afford it. Unless of course you're working for an oil sheik. > > Software vendors should also plug in a conscience and not be so quick to > sell high-cost > software they know damn well is a bone they're throwing till the next > newest thing comes > along. But they don't usually have a conscience, so you should do the > thinking instead > of the vendor doing it all for you. > > And besides all that it's a bad idea to buy all your software from one > vendor. You > wouldn't do that with hardware, why would you do that with software? > > <leaps off soapbox, breaks neck> Look, if you don't want to use NewEra just yet and you want to stick to good old 4GL, then just come right out and say it Tim. :-) Your points are all basically valid, but a little cynical. With every new development tool that comes out you have the catch-22 situation, where clients are reluctant to buy because there are no software shops to support them, and software shops are reluctant to train people up when there are no active projects. In South Africa we pretty much provide all the skills for outsourced projects. Some companies are developing in-house, but the number of NewEra projects is increasing monthly. I think you are wrong about people using different suppliers. People generally select a company to supply their database, then they use the tools offered by that company. People select a hardware platform, then they get all their hardware requirements from that supplier. If you look at all the hype from database vendors about ANSI standards. The original sales pitch was that if you could write SQL for one database then you could write it for all. If you could connect to one database then you could connect to them all. This has only recently become a reality with connectivity such as ODBC. You still need SQL manuals for each database you need to connect to. So your ideal of using multiple vendors will become a reality in time, I am sure. But at this point if Informix say they have a new wonder-tool, then Informix clients will upgrade. If Oracle say they have a new engine, then Oracle clients will upgrade (in a flash :-). It may be just my warped sense of the universe, but to me the whole industry has come full circle over the last ten years. With a return now to host-centric systems with dumb or thin clients, running 3GL's like Java. >8-) <Soapbox is removed by passer-by with a promise to break both legs> Cheers, -- Mark. +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Mark D. Stock - The West Solutions Group http://www.west.co.za | | The Informix FAQ is at http://www.iiug.org | |mailto:marks@west.co.za +------------------------------------------------+ |Tel: +27 11 803 2151 |If it doesn't work... force it! | |Fax: +27 11 803 2189 |If it breaks... it needed replacing anyway! | |Cell: +27 83 250 2325 |Well, that's how I code anyway! | +------------------------+------------------------------------------------+