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After a week, the poll results show Flex, AIR, and iPhone leading the RIA technologies that our readers are interested in pursuing next and Google Gears and AJAX at the bottom of the wish list of our readers. AJAX being so low on the list was a little surprising, but this could simply be related to the age of the technology and the fact that most everyone who has developed anything for the web over the past 10 years probably already has a working knowledge of JavaScript.
Flash being so low could probably be explained in the same manner since it is also a very old technology when we are talking about Internet technologies (over 10 years). Or, it could simply be that younger software developers and more interested in creating Flash Player content by utilizing the Flex framework rather than the Flash IDE. If you have an opinion on this please let me know.
Personally, although I probably won't have an immediate use case for learning mobile technologies, I still plan on adding iPhone and or Android to my skill set in 2009.
To see the complete results please check here.
Thanks as always for taking part in our poll questions.
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Undoubtedly Silverlight
I would assume the low result for Flash is because these days Flash is known as more of a designer's tool while Flex is known as a programmer's tool. So if you ask a group of programmers which tool they prefer the answer should be obvious. To support my unsubstantiated theory I can point out that I'm a designer that prefers Flash and have absolutely no interest in Flex.
I would suggest the low result for Ajax is because maybe the technology is not quite as popular as it is hyped to be. Personally I don't think Javascript is the issue because it is a nice language and I like to use it. The problem is that using the language to its full potential is difficult for online applications because of the different rules for the different browsers. Once Javascript code works across all browsers without having to have special code for special browsers then things would be better.
Although, I would be interested in hearing how many people who voted for AIR would in fact be using Javascript development instead of Flash. That could be where the Ajax people are going because it eliminates the multiple browser issue.
As a member of the Curl community I was pleased to see Curl take a strong second to Flex and AIR. I'm not sure why iPhone SDK was included as its not a RIA technology; it's a mobile technology. I see you have a new survey for that. Good! So excluding iPhone SDK, which is pretty cool but not a RIA, Curl comes in with a strong third. That's great.
What is interesting is that we never even promoted the survey among our community or anywhere until today when we realized that Curl was doing so well. If we had, Curl may have come in even stronger.
Anyway, very interesting results - I doubt Curl would have even been on the list a year ago.
Sorry, but Curl is dead. The only ISV in the entire United States using Curl just switched to Flex. Flex has an excellent installed base and a strong support for Open Source. Silverlight is a fine choice is you are a member of the Cult of Bill. AJAX is fine for those who like being shade tree mechanics (and whose cars never run quite right). Curl? Dead, 1990's-era technology. try an Amazon book search for Curl -- every single title out of print for years, and nothing new on the horizon.
As the presidential election taught us, spreading distortions and false rumors does not work. The facts are that Curl has not been abandoned by any US customer and Curl is not “dead.” In fact, the Curl installed base has grown by 50 percent globally and now numbers 400 customers.
For those of you who do not know it, David Z works for Adobe. Lets be a bit more honest and stop spreading FUD. I've promised to do this myself I hope you will join me.