Comments on: The RIA dilemma: open vs predictable http://www.itwriting.com/blog/680-the-ria-dilemma-open-vs-predictable.html Tech writing blog Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:56:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Avi http://www.itwriting.com/blog/680-the-ria-dilemma-open-vs-predictable.html/comment-page-1#comment-101925 Avi Wed, 18 Jun 2008 05:32:49 +0000 http://www.itwriting.com/blog/?p=680#comment-101925 It's a really interesting discussion. Aside from the proprietary/open arguments, Silverlight and Flash have the issue of supporting some expected features of [most] HTML such as hyperlinks and bookmarks. And it's not that those are features that can just be added; they are fundamental differences. Looking from high up, one may have expected all web apps to be written in Flash long ago, but that hasn't happened. It's not totally clear to me why, considering it has 95+% penetration. A few days ago I wrote a post related to the cyclical nature of the application platform; it seems to apply here: http://blogs.msdn.com/avip/archive/2008/06/17/the-computing-client-s-yo-yo-diet.aspx It’s a really interesting discussion. Aside from the proprietary/open arguments, Silverlight and Flash have the issue of supporting some expected features of [most] HTML such as hyperlinks and bookmarks. And it’s not that those are features that can just be added; they are fundamental differences.

Looking from high up, one may have expected all web apps to be written in Flash long ago, but that hasn’t happened. It’s not totally clear to me why, considering it has 95+% penetration.

A few days ago I wrote a post related to the cyclical nature of the application platform; it seems to apply here:

http://blogs.msdn.com/avip/archive/2008/06/17/the-computing-client-s-yo-yo-diet.aspx

]]> By: Nico http://www.itwriting.com/blog/680-the-ria-dilemma-open-vs-predictable.html/comment-page-1#comment-101767 Nico Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:25:00 +0000 http://www.itwriting.com/blog/?p=680#comment-101767 Ian, Silverlight seems very cool. And I'm sure you're right. Microsoft is behind it, so it will be more demanded soon. But there are powerful forces out there against a single-vender platform. ActiveX failed. Internet Explorer achieved more than 90% market share but pressure has made it more compatible. Ian, Silverlight seems very cool. And I’m sure you’re right. Microsoft is behind it, so it will be more demanded soon. But there are powerful forces out there against a single-vender platform. ActiveX failed. Internet Explorer achieved more than 90% market share but pressure has made it more compatible.

]]> By: Ian Blackburn http://www.itwriting.com/blog/680-the-ria-dilemma-open-vs-predictable.html/comment-page-1#comment-101755 Ian Blackburn Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:52:23 +0000 http://www.itwriting.com/blog/?p=680#comment-101755 Nico - I expect that Silverlight will climb into the "required" section fairly quickly after the release of v2. It is much more of a tool for developers than Flash, and every .net developer I have discussed this with has embraced it as a better more productive and powerful way of creating web ui than html/js. Silverlight can work with any server environment too by the way, and can use ajax/rest etc to communicate with any platform... Nico – I expect that Silverlight will climb into the “required” section fairly quickly after the release of v2. It is much more of a tool for developers than Flash, and every .net developer I have discussed this with has embraced it as a better more productive and powerful way of creating web ui than html/js.

Silverlight can work with any server environment too by the way, and can use ajax/rest etc to communicate with any platform…

]]> By: Nico http://www.itwriting.com/blog/680-the-ria-dilemma-open-vs-predictable.html/comment-page-1#comment-101751 Nico Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:30:26 +0000 http://www.itwriting.com/blog/?p=680#comment-101751 I'm sticking with HTML and family. In part because it's what's worked for me since 1997 and keeps getting better. If I need "richness", I go desktop with Delphi. For bare functionality, HTML works with whatever server side environment. Incompatibility is not so bad as it used to be. I guess I'm not their target of Flex or Silverlight, but they're more aimed to Flash types. The only job offers that contain "flex" or "silverlight" are <i>still</i> the ones that mention them at the end of a very long list of "desired" instead of "required". I’m sticking with HTML and family. In part because it’s what’s worked for me since 1997 and keeps getting better. If I need “richness”, I go desktop with Delphi. For bare functionality, HTML works with whatever server side environment. Incompatibility is not so bad as it used to be.

I guess I’m not their target of Flex or Silverlight, but they’re more aimed to Flash types. The only job offers that contain “flex” or “silverlight” are still the ones that mention them at the end of a very long list of “desired” instead of “required”.

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