Re: How to move forward

I'm only laughing because it hurts.

I went through the same set of questions two years ago when my business died. 
Here'e the path I ended up taking:
1. Started work on a Lotus Notes application with LotusScript. Had to learn 
LotusScript on the fly.
2. The LotusScript wouldn't do what we wanted. Looked at VB.
3. VB was too expensive to roll out. Consultant suggested we work with Java. 
Consultant is a Java contractor.
4. Learned Java applets on the fly. Found out we needed Java servlets and 
JS2EE.
5. Started the lifelong study of JS2EE (will it never end?). Found we needed 
JSP.
6. Learned JSP on the fly as I wrote the app. Found we needed a lot of 
Javascript to make it work properly.
7. Already knew some Javascript. Just needed to find freeware scriptlets that 
I could modify for the app. Learned how to forage on the 'net for free code 
snips. Some of them worked. 
8. Completed a phase of the project only to find out it would have worked 
better with beans. Started rewriting the mess in beans. 
9. Rolled out a significant portion of the project only to discover that it 
might have been better in ASP.NET.
10. Started all over with no guarantee this is the right path.

I don't think there is a rational learning path right now. I suggest that a 
good understanding of objects is absolutely necessary before starting out. The 
trouble is coming up with an explanation of them that is not a poor 
translation from Finnish to German to English.

Just my opnion.

- Hank Heath

In a message dated 8/20/2003 12:45:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
jlcrosby@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:


> Don't laugh when you read this.
>