On 10/10/06, Bill Arnold <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Ted, I think you've got the 'pioneer bug', and I don't mean that in a bad way because only a small percentage of people in any field have the wherewithal to do anything on that level.
Well, I thank you for the compliment, but it's far from true. Python the language is 16 years old. Linux is 15. There's nothing very new or cutting-edge here, other than vibrant development communities where progress continues. Check out the resources. Look for books, magazines, conferences. There's a whole exciting world out there! I am leaving a market which gradually no longer supports the kind of work I do for another one that will. I am working hard to transition my business, my clients and my applications to the next platform. A long and soul-searching review of a number of alternatives lead me in this direction. I've been tinkering with Linux since 1998, committed in 2002, and started development in 2004. Still a long way to go, but I want to do it right.
I do lament that folks like yourself, Ed (and insert list) have split off, but I admit it's a selfish feeling because people like me gained a lot from the great efforts you folks put into helping us, I suppose in many cases without your even knowing it.
The FoxPro community has been a wonderful one for sharing and support. I have gained far more than I have given, and have given all I could.
Having said that, and even acknowledging best arguments to the contrary, I still stand by the optimism expressed for VFP.
As Garrett remarked, you are an amazing optimist. I don't have any "secret inside info" you do not, but I have come to a far different conclusion.
It's not that I don't think about the future, but Windows still has that brass ring, and I don't see a PC OS in sight that meets or beats standards set by IBM and OS 390, so I figure now isn't the best time to shop for a platform change. Maybe in this decade there will either be such a machine or it will be on the horizon.
Well, I think AT&T and UNIX gave them a run for the money, and IBM's support of Linux as an OS for every machine they make is a pretty clear statement to me. "IBM recommends Windows XP" is something MSFT has to pay them to print in their advertising.
OS independence, like Ed and Paul (and yourself?) are getting with Dabo has the obvious allure, but it's a huge investment, and there is a gamble there on Python's future OS compatibility and the prospect of brand new "latest and greatest" competitors.
There will always be another language out there with golden promises. The grass is always greener. I remember an entire IT shop getting their panties all in a bunch about PowerBuilder when it came out. Same for dbXL and rBASE. Today the buzz is Ruby, but Ruby (eleven years old itself) is yet another growing and maturing language. Perhaps after I'm more proficient with Python I'll take a look. The great news is that there is choice (outside of the MS Box, anyway). They key is to chose a platform that can do what you want NOW, as well as having a lively community and a promising future. As for OS Compatibility, as Ed indicated, that's a strawman. Python (and Perl and Ruby and a million others) run on nearly every OS ever made. Anything with a C compiler on it can build any of those languages from source. As for the size of the investment, any switch will entail a big investment. I chose my target carefully. You're going to need to make a choice, sooner or later. I like stretching my payments out over a longer term.
But this whole business is gamble! What else is new?
Not much, really. This isn't a choice between "Stay the Course," "Stand and Die" or "Cut and Run" -- change itself is the only fundamental of this business we can count on. We go through media - paper, magtape, floppy, hard disk and flash - and units of measure (who ever thought they'd say terabyte with a straight face?) and methodologies - structured, OOA&D, agile. It's the nature of the industry. Change is good. Change is necessary. Change is essential. And if Change is essential, which way do we go? Not "Where do you want to go today?" I want Choice. Freedom of Choice. Freedom to choose the language(s) and platform(s) suitable for my client's needs. Not a one-size-fits-all-but-none-very-well monstrosity, but a scalable, modular, componentized set of technologies with clearly defined APIs and interfaces to plug in, develop, modify, discard, replace and enhance. When you choose to stand with FoxPro, you choose Not Change. Deferred investment in your future. Increasing risk. That's a risk I can't afford.
I understand and share the angst over MS.
Angst is several steps earlier in the progression. I've been through anger, denial and negotiation. I've been through depression. I am at the acceptance stage. It feels good. -- Ted Roche Ted Roche & Associates, LLC http://www.tedroche.com _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: ProFox@leafe.com Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
