RE: And so it continues...

From: Buck

I agree with the general tenor of your note. Software is not like PVC
pipe and elbows. A little glue and anyone can do it... I disagree that
OSS is at fault. I've learnt much more programming and a boatload more
about infrastructure by using OSS than I ever did by using proprietary
wizard-driven software from IBM, Microsoft or Lotus. EGL is a prime
example of the latest installment of IBM's 'programming for dummies'
drive.

I promised myself this year no more arguing, but I do have one hard and fast
rule: I won't let myself be misquoted.

I never said Open Source is at fault. It's the misconception that Open
Source is somehow free that causes problems. Non-technical C-level
executives get the idea that this stuff can be plucked out of the air (or
more precisely, off the Internet) and slapped onto a cheap server and BOOM
you have an infrastructure. That's of course ridiculous.

I don't understand your dig at EGL, but that's your opinion and I won't
argue with it. I do suggest you read my articles on EGL and see how it can
be used as essentially SDA for the web, with direct calls to an RPG back end
for processing. I just put together a web page that uses two buttons (Next
and Reload) to page through a file using an RPG back end to serve the data
in a table, just like a subfile. It took me about a minute and a half to
create the front end, and the back end can be as sophisticated as I need it
to be, since it's written in RPG.

Personally, I don't find that to be "programming for dummies", but as I said
I am not going to argue opinions. I'll disagree, but I won't argue <smile>.

Joe