3 ms·

Because the .NET framework actually is a nice development environment? Especially with MVC? I'm interested in it, as I am forced to use VB @ work (no, I don't

by thismat 17y ago

Because the .NET framework actually is a nice development environment? Especially with MVC? I'm interested in it, as I am forced to use VB @ work (no, I don't like VB, I'd much rather use C# on the .NET platform, and I do when I do personal dev with .NET) and honestly, I have yet to find a development environment quite as nice as what VS offers. I think it offers a great way for developers who work as cogs to enhance their sidebusiness and cut their costs, I do a lot of work on multiple platforms, but I've considered signing up and pushing some clients towards .NET because it's a rich development environment and now actually cheap enough to do small sites with on the side.

steveklabnik 17y ago
But the web allows you one of the greatest chances to break away from the whole Microsoft lock-in! I mean, if you use the MS stack to develop your main applications, but you need them to consume some kinds of service, that's a great place to write the service in something else. And it's not just zealotry. My startup uses all Free software (except for one copy of quickbooks, damn accountants...) because it's, well, always going to be free as in beer. If I had to compare this, I'd take a look at how as my business grows, I'd need to roll out a bunch of cash, whereas I wouldn't with LAMP. That's a pretty big downside.
thenduks 17y ago
You fall into the category of people already on the Microsoft stack then, don't you? I got the impression from this whole thing (and Microsoft's recent behavior in general) is that they're trying to entice the non-Microsoft people over to their stack... And I (personally) think this is a weak offering, especially considering how happy I am with my current workflow and tools.
- thismat 17y ago
  Depends, what qualifies me as being on the Microsoft stack? My day job deals with .NET to COBOL/JCL, my free time I spend with Rails and supporting other peoples poorly written php(grr...), on OSX, not in Windows....so I don't think I'm already on the stack, I use it for my day job because it's the standard I have to follow (no one I know willing chooses vb.net over C# :().
  - thenduks 17y ago
    Fair enough, then. In that case you are exactly the kind of person I'm suggesting wouldn't be swayed. Are you going to switch to Windows just for this? Are you going to drop Rails because Microsoft has decided to grace us with a non-prohibitively-priced copy of their tools? For me, the answer is a massive 'no'. I could be wrong about you, of course :)
    - thismat 17y ago
      haha, it's not so black and white for me. I can't swear loyalty to any one platform because I'm too curious not to try them all. I LOVE working in .NET, it has taught me a lot, I don't want to switch away from it....on the same note I LOVE working with Rails, it's a pleasure, pretty, 'feels good writing' framework, that has also, taught me a lot. I'm the same with with operating systems, I like using them all (now that I have Windows 7 that is), so I have a desktop PC for Win7+VS+Gaming, my macbook for LAMP style development and my Linode VPS for handling my own *nix server and bash/shell/testing/personal hosting...I just can't switch to one platform when they all have a different purpose..right tool for the job kind of thing. Really, I just like to mix it up, I don't want to get locked into any one platform, but if a job pops up that the client wants .NET, why not do it with free professional level software?
      - thenduks 17y ago
        Everything you say makes sense to me. ...Except that last part. If a job pops up and a client wants .NET, I would strongly encourage them against it. Why? Well like you said, you don't want to be locked in. Why would you be ok with locking in the client? If that client's site gets bigger and they need another box or what-have-you -- oops, that's another X thousand dollars for another license, etc. That sort of thing would not be ok with me. Of course, I'm not a freelancer, so maybe my take on client-is-always-right will vary wildly from yours :)
        thismat 17y ago
        No I agree, I would prefer not to work in .NET for my personal development honestly, but I do know that like my shop, some corporations or small businesses are already locked into the Microsoft stack, and won't consider something like Rails or Django for their production applications. Obviously these are normally for more business oriented, intranet style applications, not normally public sites, so scaling is a little different and normally they will have their own server licenses already.

by thismat 17y ago

steveklabnik 17y ago

But the web allows you one of the greatest chances to break away from the whole Microsoft lock-in! I mean, if you use the MS stack to develop your main applications, but you need them to consume some kinds of service, that's a great place to write the service in something else. And it's not just zealotry. My startup uses all Free software (except for one copy of quickbooks, damn accountants...) because it's, well, always going to be free as in beer. If I had to compare this, I'd take a look at how as my business grows, I'd need to roll out a bunch of cash, whereas I wouldn't with LAMP. That's a pretty big downside.

thenduks 17y ago

You fall into the category of people already on the Microsoft stack then, don't you? I got the impression from this whole thing (and Microsoft's recent behavior in general) is that they're trying to entice the non-Microsoft people over to their stack... And I (personally) think this is a weak offering, especially considering how happy I am with my current workflow and tools.

thismat 17y ago
Depends, what qualifies me as being on the Microsoft stack? My day job deals with .NET to COBOL/JCL, my free time I spend with Rails and supporting other peoples poorly written php(grr...), on OSX, not in Windows....so I don't think I'm already on the stack, I use it for my day job because it's the standard I have to follow (no one I know willing chooses vb.net over C# :().
- thenduks 17y ago
  Fair enough, then. In that case you are exactly the kind of person I'm suggesting wouldn't be swayed. Are you going to switch to Windows just for this? Are you going to drop Rails because Microsoft has decided to grace us with a non-prohibitively-priced copy of their tools? For me, the answer is a massive 'no'. I could be wrong about you, of course :)
  - thismat 17y ago
    haha, it's not so black and white for me. I can't swear loyalty to any one platform because I'm too curious not to try them all. I LOVE working in .NET, it has taught me a lot, I don't want to switch away from it....on the same note I LOVE working with Rails, it's a pleasure, pretty, 'feels good writing' framework, that has also, taught me a lot. I'm the same with with operating systems, I like using them all (now that I have Windows 7 that is), so I have a desktop PC for Win7+VS+Gaming, my macbook for LAMP style development and my Linode VPS for handling my own *nix server and bash/shell/testing/personal hosting...I just can't switch to one platform when they all have a different purpose..right tool for the job kind of thing. Really, I just like to mix it up, I don't want to get locked into any one platform, but if a job pops up that the client wants .NET, why not do it with free professional level software?
    - thenduks 17y ago
      Everything you say makes sense to me. ...Except that last part. If a job pops up and a client wants .NET, I would strongly encourage them against it. Why? Well like you said, you don't want to be locked in. Why would you be ok with locking in the client? If that client's site gets bigger and they need another box or what-have-you -- oops, that's another X thousand dollars for another license, etc. That sort of thing would not be ok with me. Of course, I'm not a freelancer, so maybe my take on client-is-always-right will vary wildly from yours :)
      - thismat 17y ago
        No I agree, I would prefer not to work in .NET for my personal development honestly, but I do know that like my shop, some corporations or small businesses are already locked into the Microsoft stack, and won't consider something like Rails or Django for their production applications. Obviously these are normally for more business oriented, intranet style applications, not normally public sites, so scaling is a little different and normally they will have their own server licenses already.