On 16 Sep 2008, at 15:59, tedd wrote:
At 9:53 PM +0100 9/15/08, Stut wrote:
As for Microsoft (will people please stop screwing with their name,
it's impolite), they've certainly made some bad choices over the
years and Windows has suffered for it.
I screw with the M$ name because I don't like them!
It's not due to their questionable business practices that
ultimately ended Gates in front of Congress answering questions; or
running Netscape out of business; or the hundreds of other instances
of them being a dick, but rather what they did to *me*.
You see, many years ago M$ developed and provided QuickBasic for the
Mac. Myself and hundreds of other developers devoted our livelihoods
to that product.
Then one day, M$ sent out notice that they would no longer support
QuickBasic and that was the end of that. All of our current, and
past work, was on a dead-end street. We were left to fend for
ourselves.
I don't mean any disrespect but devoting your livelihood on a
technology with a single provider is probably not the smartest move
you've made. It's not nice for Microsoft to have pulled support for it
but they're a business and they made that decision because they didn't
see a profitable future there, they weren't out to screw you.
Imagine if PHP suddenly stopped development and you had to find a
different language (i.e., ruby). Sure we could all do it, but we
picked this language for a reason and now we have to choose again --
and perhaps that choice was our second choice. I don't like being
forced to settle for my second choice.
Speaking only for myself I would have no problem with it at all, for a
few reasons...
1) PHP is open source so the chances of development stopping dead is
highly unlikely even if Zend were to cease to be.
2) PHP is not my strongest language, and it definitely isn't the only
language I know. I work hard to make sure I'm up with current
developments in C/C++, C#, Ruby and a number of other languages. I've
recently started learning Scala. I've also engineered my career so it
involves more than one core language/technology at any one time so my
CV stays fresh and my options stay plentiful.
3) I have no real preference for a particular language or technology.
Throughout my career I've had the attitude that the method of software
engineering is far more important than the tools. I feel confident
that I could apply my skills using any language, something that's been
tested a few times over the years.
Now, should have M$ continued to support a product that wasn't
making sufficient money for them? I dunno, but I don't care either
-- they screwed with my life and I'll spend the rest of it calling M
$, M$.
That's your choice, but don't take offence when I say that's changed
my opinion of you somewhat.
Similarly, I had a run-in with American Express over 30 years ago
and even to this day I return all their sales promotion in their
self-addressed no-postage envelope they provide. Over the years, I
suspect they have paid postage for over 100 pounds of profitless
correspondence and the time for their staff to examine it.
You're not alone in doing this, but how much a dent do you really
think you've made in their profits? It's like spam, if it wasn't worth
doing they wouldn't do it. Your efforts would be better spent trying
to get your address blacklisted... or learning Scala!
Now, do I have problems? Perhaps, but I'm happy. :-)
Good for you.
-Stut
--
http://stut.net/
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