Open Source Betrayal, Dealing With the Devil, and the Tragedy That is Now My Life

Ok… ok…

Maybe a little melodramatic, I know. I’m sorry if you are now having American Idol flashbacks (and, this year’s American Idol is… <ridiculously long pause>). But, today DOES mark a turning point for me… a betrayal of my open source roots, a new deal with the “devil” of web development, and a path that could possible lead to disaster.

[pay]Good-bye dear open source… <tears rolling>

<Big sigh>

Hello Microsoft.

Oh the horror…

Yes, it’s true… I’ve been recruited to the dark side. Kind of. Actually, what’s happening is I’m toying with the new Microsoft Visual Studio 2008… and some other of the Microsoft Web Development tools.

It all started about two weeks ago…

(And, it’s all my younger brother’s fault… damn him!)

My oldest brother, Shane, is some kind of mad computer whiz. Seriously, he was the guy back in the late 80’s writing computer programs for our old Apple 128. The guy who left college early (after like two years), because he had already aced all his major courses and had a job in in computers. The guy who got like a 3000 on his IQ test (ok… something like 160).

He’s smart.

And, he digs computers.

So, my little brother was talking with Shane and told him about my newfound interest in CSS, PHP, AJAX… as well as graphic design, and web site building. And, that instantly sent Shane afire.

Long story short, my brother Shane recruited me to the dark side and introduced me to the world of Microsoft web development and ASP.NET.

What mostly convinced was seeing how some of the largest websites on the planet are using ASP.NET… particularly MySpace. Whether you like MySpace or not, fact is it’s popular.

And, here’s what I noticed…

Before MySpace switched to ASP.NET…

• Buggy and unreliable
• No applications
• Ugly and seemingly very cumbersome

And, I believe, on the verge of “death”.

After ASP.NET

• WAY more reliable (like WAY more reliable)
• Support for cool applications
• Upgraded interface, yet still pretty lightweight

And, beginning some kind of weird nerdy online revival.

Now, realize, I have no clue what I’m talking about. These are just my opinions from my very limited perspective. (And, I’m sure those of you who DO know will not have a problem enlightening me.)

But, when my older brother tells me, it’s better… I listen. He knows. He deals with this stuff everyday.

So, today my journey begins.

Now, let me say right upfront. I know almost nothing about any of this. And, I have no clue where all this is headed. But, if you’d like to join me on my journey, I’m going to post to this blog as I learn new tricks and techniques.

So, to start, let me show what all I downloaded and have done so far:

Microsoft SQL Server 2005

Microsoft has a cool SQL server you can download and use for free with your database applications. Honestly, I’m still figuring out what all this does, but I know I database applications are a BIG part of where I’m headed, so figuring this one out is vital.

You can download this product for free at:

http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/

Microsoft Visual Basic 2008

This is Microsoft’s basic programming studio for ASP.NET applications. The copy on their site says it’s for casual programming and first-time users to learn how the ASP.NET programming language works, etc.

You can download this product for free at:

http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/

Of course, these are the “express” editions of these products, so they are limited it some ways… but, don’t ask me how, because I’m still figuring them out.

Anyway, if you’d like to start toying with these products and working with ASP.NET as a programming language, go for it. That’s exactly what I’m doing and I’ll post about my experiences and cool tricks and techniques I learn here on this blog.

Also, for you savvy ASP guys and gals out there… any recommendations with using this stuff. I know… I’m a noob, but the interface is a bit daunting when I first opened it up. Any tips on how to master this a bit faster?

Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated!
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Web Development

Web development is a broad term for any activities related to developing a web site for the World Wide Web or an intranet. This can include e-commerce business development, web design, web content development, client-side/server-side coding, and web server configuration. However, among web professionals, “web development” usually refers only to the non-design aspects of building web sites, e.g. writing markup and coding. Web development can range from developing the simplest static single page of plain text to the most complex web-based internet applications, electronic businesses, or social network services.

For larger businesses and organizations, web development teams can consist of hundreds of people (web developers). Smaller organizations may only require a single permanent or contracting webmaster, or secondary assignment to related job positions such as a graphic designer and/or Information systems technician. Web development may be a collaborative effort between departments rather than the domain of a designated department.

Web Development. (2008, May 22). In Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved May 23, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_development