ColdFusion and the Web Application Market

>By showing that ASP (and ASP.NET) are not really "free" at all - they   >don't include much of the functionality that comes free with CF and   >they are harder to develop sites with (therefore the initial deployment >cost is higher).   Be very careful with this analogy.  Microsoft hasn't been sitting on the sidelines letting ISVs continue to rake in the moolah on third party componenets. True that ColdFusion includes more functionality that straight ASP or ASP.NET, but... Watch out for ASP.NET 2.0 that is currently under development (along with Whidbey, the next generation Visual Studio IDE).  Here is a quick link to what is planned for ASP.NET 2.0: (http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/04/06/default.aspx).   They are beginning to get the hint.  Also look at what's coming down the pipe for Whidbey: http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/default.aspx (currently the May 2004 Edition).  Pretty scary stuff if you ask me.  Could you imagine being able to write an entier Intranet Application from a wizard?  With Authentication and extra Web Service Widgets?  Tough to beat if you ask me... >What technology/functionality does CF have that ASP.Net does not....? As >for harder to develop with... perhaps ASP.Old but certainly not .NET-- >in my opinion. Documentation is better. Support is better. The community >is bigger. The functionality is much more realized, bug free and robust. I agree with you. I think that ASP.NET will become the dominant platform for web development within the next 5 years in corporate America.   One other point that Microsoft has going for them is their Patterns and Practices site. (http://tinyurl.com/3fr29)  This is Microsoft tested, Microsoft approved code that you can use at will in your sites or applications.  Macromedia needs to have something like this as well.  I recall the great debate over whether or not Macromedia was endorsing the use of Mach-II because they used it on their site...  I found it silly that they couldn't, as a company, come out and say that yes this works and this is why... >But anyhow.. that's OT for the thread. My opinion, CFML is still a great >option but only one tool of many. If you are a developer concerned with >your future then you should spend some time expanding your skill set >instead of asking MM to create more jobs for you. Indeed!  Expand your toolset.  Learn Java.  Learn .NET.  It can only help you down the road. Cheers, Jeff Garza Manager, Phoenix CFUG jeff@hawkandheron.com http://www.azcfug.org