Technological evangelists
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Every now and again I have to deal with a rabid anti-Microsoft nut who forgets that business see IT as nothing more than a tool rather than a way of life.
They witter on about Mozilla Firefox having 5% of the market and how it is a big threat to Microsoft. Now don't get me wrong. I prefer Firefox to IE but I can't help thinking Microsoft holds a 90%+ market share in desktop applications which is near as damnit a monopoly.
This means that 90%+ of the market is a unified whole pulling in one direction. They are not doing an IBM and canabalising themselves. Until Bill Gates or Steve Balmer shuffles off this mortal coil I cannot see them self destructing.
The remaining sub 10% of the market are not a unified 10% other than their desire to put one over on Microsoft. They all have their dreams and aspirations and conpete with each other just as much as they do with Microsoft.
If ever that sub 10% got together then perhaps they would worry Microsoft but as they are I don't see it happening.
Microsoft has its faults but you cannot accuse them of failing to embrace change.
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ok this is funny. Everyday I deal with at least one rabid pro-Microsoft nut who forgets that business see IT as nothing more than a tool rather than a way of life.I would gladly trade.
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In short, someone who forgets that businesses sees IT as nothing more than a tool. Pro or anti Microsoft makes no difference.
Its a bit like the politically correct whingers. I have a friend who works for the government and was given the task of writing a safety manual for some very nasty chemicals. He was hauled over the coals for writing that "women must not use this substance". What he should have written (apparently)is "persons who were born in possession of ovaries must not use this substance".
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Well as I noted in another thread, it's been a long ride.
I've seen this for years, over and over.
The mainframe is dead, you have to learn Unix. While partially true today, the MF is mortally wounded, but Unix still hasn't taken over. But 25 years ago ??
You have to learn PL/I, COBOL is dead. That was almost 30 years ago, COBOL still has a big presence. How many people even know what PL/I is today ?
It happened then, it happens now, you'll see it tomorrow. In IT or almost any other profession.
People get swept up by emotion, the bells and whistles, or just the "That's Neat, Let's use it" mentality. Even though it has no real world use.
KlK
KlK -
I cleaned out my attic the other day and came across some college notes.
One of the lecturers had written "with the simplicity and ease of use of CP/M it is difficult to imagine a successor".
I find that with every computer language I learn I pick up tips that are generally applicable across all of them.
Learning COBOL encouraged a structured approach to defining and declaring variables.
Learning C++ encouraged a "look after your object life cycle" paradigm.
Learning VB finally got the message across that you can't polish a poo.
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How many people even know what PL/I is today ?
PL/I and Java are our languages for enterprise development. Fortunately I will only deal with the latter one. When I look at our developers for PL/I, I might come to the conclusion, most of them must be in the age of my dad
Learning C++? A good experience, but if you're after the "true OO" paradigma, learn Smalltalk.
Oh, and as for monopoly. Does anyone really think Oracle, Sun, Adobe or any other company would act different when they were in Microsoft's fortunate position?
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Frank Kalis
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Webmaster: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs
My blog: http://www.insidesql.org/blogs/frankkalis/[/url] -
"most of them must be in the age of my dad"
Thanks Frank, I was around before PL/I
, so maybe I'm more like your Grandpa. Although I have moved with the times.
Wouldn't call myself a great C++ programmer, but I can probably hold my own with most.
Haven't had a need for smalltalk, but I learn languages (computer) very quickly. I am enough of a technologist that English is a second language, COBOL is first. Although you can probably throw a half dozen computer type things in between those two in reality.
KlK, MCSE
KlK -
Anyone remember Z80 and 6502 Assembly Language?
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And assembly language is enough to make you feel that way. But I recall those when I was in High School studying languages around. -
>>Anyone remember Z80 and 6502 Assembly Language?Thanks to several years of heavy drinking, topped off with some expensive therapy, I can now honestly answer "No" to that question
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