Mono, .NET, not huge factors in the future of software...

Mono, .NET, not huge factors in the future of software...

Posted Oct 3, 2007 7:56 UTC (Wed) by wildgift (guest, #31283)
Parent article: The Mono Project: You Might Expect the Unexpected (Linux Journal)

.NET is a copycat of Java and its extensive class libraries. MS created it because Java had become a real threat to its ability to keep pace with Java development. Windows programmers were stuck with two options: C/C++ and the MFC, which weren't as nice as the Java classes; Visual Basic, and its libraries. VB is actually an okay language for app development, if you ignore the fact that it's not much fun to program in it. To add insult to (uh) insult, people were choosing to program in Java, and deploy on Windows, and the VMs were getting better.

MS went and added a bunch of network and browser-like things to .NET, and good integration with Windows.

The thing is, while MS was off copying Java, the whole world went in other directions. First, Java/VB/C# style languages lost their cool (if they ever really had it), and Javascript and languages with lisp-like features got a lot cooler. Second, the web browser became a significant application platform, and is continuing to develop in this direction. This is still growing, and represents the future of apps. Third, Firefox happened, and basically freed intranet web apps from IE6... a very good thing. Fourth, MySQL happened, destabilizing the database market.

Browser-based apps are where it's at. Look at Tomboy Notes -- it's a personal Wiki system written in Mono. While there were certainly other hypertext tools before Wikis.... TB acts like a Wiki, adopting the interface restrictions of web browsers. The software is, basically, "dumbed down." Plain, "dumb" software that works like web pages is the future of the desktop experience, because we're running more and more software, via apps, via the web, and on gadgets. There's no way for anyone to really learn all the features of all these apps.

Instead, what we'll be expecting is good integration of data, so that links work, old input is remembered, data moves between apps, and searches cut across sets of data. We want things to link automatically, and for data to be put into its right place.

Again, while MS was putting rich GUI stuff into .NET, which is fine, the world has been shifting to simple interfaces, and many more of them. While .NET was doing its ADO thing... the world really pushed straight into SQL.

So, don't sweat over Mono.

---

to post comments