The Cottage Industry Stage Is Over!
Ok, let’s admit it. There is a gap between the promise of the Internet and the way most organizations use technology. Maintaining servers, and the software that runs on them is expensive, and training the teams that do the work is prohibitively expensive. I have watched people tie themselves in knots to solve problems that I thought were easy.
I am learning about new ways of doing things, and I am excited. During the day, I provide code in old style shops for clients who are often doing things the hard way. I may think I know a better way, but who asked me? Last night I stayed up too late, looking at the exciting work that Google is doing, including the App Engine.
It strikes me that my clients are paying me too much to do things that could be more easily done in other ways. In fact, to be honest, I am beginning to notice that other people are doing what I do, they are doing it better and they are doing it for less. It is time to change. I am running the risk of becoming obsolete.
I suggested to a client a year or so ago that she did not need a mail server. Just use Google mail, I said. This small association was not ready for that idea. However, Arizona State University was. Check this out!