Re: IBM Gives RPG Devotees Their Own Café

[Nathan Andelin <nandelin@xxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Walden
> Are you kidding me?

No, I'm not kidding - just coming at this from a different angle.

> I'm in Outlook all day long. I've got a bunch of folders, I can
> see a view of Midrange, SQLServer, .Net, IRB, 21CFR11, etc.
> All from one spot.

Ah, Yes.  Like David said, email [and a mail client] is the lowest common denominator.  You subscribe to a number of different lists from a number of different sources, but they're all available from one client.

> Oh, and it's the same spot I get "real" work done w/clients
> and vendors. The web is _nothing_ like that.

Another good point.  But why is the web _nothing_ like that?  Can't we as web application developers do something about that?  Don't we control the design of our applications?

Well, in the case of EGL and RPG Cafes, it appears that IBM didn't take much thought except to look at few content management systems, and pick one for their content.

> I (the human being) have to open numerous sites,
> click through numerous pages and then I get a bunch of
> fluff and pretty colors ...

I don't like that either.  And it kind-of gets back to the root of the problem for publisher sites like "Cafe".  The site exists primarily as a marketing vehicle for publishers and advertisers.  The forums are a way to attract readers.  IBM is the sponsoring advertiser in this case.

> I can (obviously) only speak for myself. But I will not partake
> in a web-based forum, take _way_ too much time.

Same here, essentially.  But bringing this back to my intended focus [web application development], what does it take to pry Outlook and Thunderbird out of user's hands, and get them to select a Web application instead.  As evidenced in this thread, it will take more than "brochure-ware".

Nathan.