[AccessD] OT: MS WebMatrix for web development

Jim Lawrence accessd at shaw.ca
Fri Jul 9 13:57:27 CDT 2010


You are correct in that the internet is not as stable as having an
application running on your desktop. But OTOH, my job of recent tends to be
going to a client's site, especially if they are working for a large
company, and removing their servers to be replaced a server which is little
less than a glorified pass-through hub.

All the major banks are slowly replacing their onsite servers with small box
hubs connect to their central offices. Banks are definitely the most
conservative bunch (belts with suspenders) and when they fully embrace a
technology they are assuming it is very reliable or just more reliable than
local servers.

Mind you if the power goes out then everything goes down but most big
companies seem blissfully unconcerned.

Jim



-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 9:56 AM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: MS WebMatrix for web development

Jim,

You are correct of course, but the point is that the web isn't the end all.

When the internet connection goes down, with Thunderbird for example I can
be busily writing emails, 
looking at old emails with attachments (lots of those) etc.  With GMail I
can't.

My client sends me spreadsheets with the order details.  With Excel they are
stored on my local 
computer and I can be working on his order.  With Google Spreadsheet (what
is it called?) I can't.

Just one of many examples.

MAYBE someday the connection to the internet will be 100% reliable, just
NEVER go down.  OTOH how 
long have we been using electricity and phone.  How often do those go down.

Yea, I am the extreme perhaps, though for businesses perhaps not.  I bought
a propane powered "whole 
house" generator and I have battery backup to get my computers through the
30 seconds until the 
generator fires up and kicks in.  When the power (and internet) fail, I am
out of business for about 
30 seconds at night (no light) but otherwise I just go on with what I am
doing.

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com


Jim Lawrence wrote:
> Hi John:
> 
> There are two ends to the web... the supplier end and user end. With your
> business you fall into the supplier end. ;-)
> 
> Jim
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
> Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 7:43 AM
> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: MS WebMatrix for web development
> 
> Yep.  Not to mention the power outage knocking out the cable and then
having
> no connection to the 
> web.  Suddenly I cannot even look at a spreadsheet, or create a word
> document?
> 
> I don't think so.
> 
> I run a business which uses SQL Server to do massive processing stuff.  I
> run it all on my servers 
> and the application I use is SS Management Server (never going web) and my
> own custom written C# app 
> (no reason to ever go web).  If I lose power, I have a generator and I can
> merrily continue onward 
> with my work.  There is just no way I would ever put this whole thing on
the
> web, or even use a 
> browser to replace the in-house desktop apps.
> 
> John W. Colby
> www.ColbyConsulting.com
> 
> 
> Drew Wutka wrote:
>> For many data centric apps, I agree that a vast majority will be moved
>> to a web interface.  But I just don't see a truly web only world coming
>> along anytime soon.  There are too many applications which either don't
>> fit with a web design, or simply won't work with a web design.  Take a
>> home user that wants to do their budget. No way will the average user
>> stop using their own spreadsheet program, to put their personal budget
>> on the web instead.  How about design software, like SolidWorks.... who
>> would that 'fit' on the web?
>>
>> I believe the web has gotten massively bigger in the last decade, and I
>> agree it will continue to get bigger, it just will never be all
>> consuming.
>>
>> Drew
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
>> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Jim Lawrence
>> Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2010 9:55 PM
>> To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
>> Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: MS WebMatrix for web development
>>
>> Most of the POS web stuff I work with is all proprietary applications.
>> You
>> would never see any of it unless you work in the particular company...
>> most
>> of it is web based or cytrix based and all connected via VPNs.
>>
>> For example, just check out your Wal-Mart casher... The app on her
>> station
>> can be changed every night and every thing sold or brought back, is
>> calibrated in virtually real time. Sales from all over the world stream
>> in
>> to some central office, in the US. (I can not remember where). This is
>> one
>> of IBM's big contracts but I have been brought in, from time to time, to
>> assist with server installs and district wide roll-outs.
>>
>> There is and always will be a place for desktop apps but their
>> importance,
>> especially among the giants of industry who want centralized control,
>> the
>> desktop is no longer used other than as a platform from which to support
>> their web or web interface apps.
>>
>> That is the way I see everything going but I could be wrong.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>>  
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
>> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Drew Wutka
>> Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2010 7:21 PM
>> To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
>> Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: MS WebMatrix for web development
>>
>> I've been building web applications for quite some time.  I've seen a
>> lot of change in web stuff.  Just got my feet wet with an ASP.Net
>> project.
>>
>> While I partially agree, that web applications will continue to grow,
>> and more and more things will be web interfaces, I just can't see the
>> web as being an all encompassing platform.
>>
>> Let me give you an example of where web interfaces fall flat.  I go to
>> the Dell website pretty frequently.  I setup about 1 computer a week, on
>> average.  So I use the utility on their site that gets the service tag
>> number of the new machine, to download drivers.  That 'tool', takes
>> about 20 seconds to install.  It then takes about 15 seconds to get the
>> service tag.  I have my own VB program that gets the same info through
>> WMI, in a fraction of a second.
>>
>> The web is too open.  To give it the power a local application has is
>> ludicrous.
>>
>> Just my opinion though.
>>
>> Drew
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