Your code (the snippet that I saw) looks fine, your tools sound, but you seem to not be concerned with marketing / user aspects.
Most that use Linux will have MySQL, Postgres, PHP, and Apache. However, that is still less than 10% of the home user market (real computer geeks aside). While the server market has a much higher Linux adoption rate, the home PC market does not. Very few church buildings do not run Linux as they need to run MIS and such. Very few buildings have open internet connections, as well. So who is your customer? If you're just doing this for your own purposes or for a few other interested people, then you're on the right track. If you want this to be adopted as a widely-used program for Scouting, then you've put up some technological barriers that will preclude interested users from participating. The most successful and widely used apps (by home users) are Windows apps with an easy installation process. Also, standalone executable apps are predominant in this world. Java is kind of borderline, but the JRE can be insulated from the user. Users have chosen compiled .exe's, because they don't want to maintain an interpretive environment -- unless it's really insulated and automatically updated. Users nearly always choose simple over better -- think WinZip over 7-Zip (which I like, btw). The thread describing Windows users as somewhat half-witted was abrasive, but grounded in reality. Windows users just their apps to work -- they don't want to 'fiddle with it'. They don't care what language or tech is used to create an app, rather they just want to install it and forget about it and they don't want to have to maintain other tools like Perl or Python. The JRE seems to have crossed that barrier for other reasons. ***I am not criticizing technology or anyone's preference.*** I'm only criticizing a bit so that you don't get done and have everyone still having to pay for Scout tracking software, because they wanted a familiar and simple platform/environment. The question that I'm driving at is whether you're architecting towards a technological solution that you prefer (or that you consider better) or a user-required solution that end users are likely to use .....? Steve -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Oscar Schultz Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 11:03 PM To: LDS Open Source Software Subject: Re: [Ldsoss] Scout Tracking ... My plan is to use either MySQL or PostGRES, php, apache, and linux with a web interface. ... _______________________________________________ Ldsoss mailing list [email protected] http://lists.ldsoss.org/mailman/listinfo/ldsoss
