.... then what was the problem ??

Last twenty years we've heard a lot of slogans:

• No terminals needed; Each employee needs his own Personal Computer.
• All those standalone PC´s !, we need to have a LAN.
• Flat-files are unreliable. Data should be in a Relational database (always in the 3rd normal-form, no matter the performance).
• Don't you guys use a 4-GL yet??
• Designs should not be data-based, that's old-fashioned. Companies have processes, so design must be process-based.
• (immediately followed by) Business-rules should be in a Work-Flow-Management system.
• All our applications should a.s.a.p. be converted to Client-Server technology. (preferably using Distributed Databases)
• Reusable components, building-blocks, Object-Oriented design. O, O, O, OO ...

Each of these dogmas often represents a large group of believers. They are characterized by their firm conviction, their doctrine offers a permanent solution to most (or even all) problems. As long as the hype continues, it doesn't matter to know someone who has actually 'done' it. More important it is to have read about it or heard about it. It strengthens the belief, at least to know someone, who knows someone, who has spoken to someone, who met someone who really thought about it. Known places of contamination are courses and seminars. The price tag of those happenings permits a lot of talk, but leaves no room for in depth questions or exploration.

The latest hype is called 'webbing'. Porting all applications to be 'web-based'. The advantages are so obvious, they don't even need to have to do with the Web: Thin-Clients, Enterprise-Java-Beans, Multi-tier, COM/DCOM or Corba, Platform-independence, XML, E-commerce just to name a few buzzwords. A question like 'What's that all about?' directly shows the old-fashioned stupidity of the questioner. As does the question: 'What does it all offer, and what are the disadvantages of using it?'. To drive the true believer mad over such amount of blasphemy, one asks: 'Do you know a company where it's been implemented, and what profits did it yield?'

I see two developments in time, influencing each other. Technology develops and offers new possibilities (and new limitations). New ideas and views on business-development brings new or changed wishes and demands; new required functionality. Fortunately, developers of buildings don't let the availability of new materials force them into using it immediately. The structural and functional demands (like the number of floors required) are still leading in selecting the materials. I'm glad not all tall buildings are build with the new plaster-blocks!

When someone approaches you, asking: 'In how many days can you 'web' this application?', or 'How much faster is it, to create a program web-based?', BEWARE! You met a true web-disciple! Please, be nice to him. But try to bring his attention to the next two questions:

Question 1. What exactly is the desired functionality (new or additional); What do you want? What problems do you like to solve? What demands do you have concerning reliability, security, performance and so on? What systems and solutions are already available to you, with which the new application has to cooperate? What is the price you'll pay for doing nothing at this time? In short: a thorough, functional specification of the problem.

Question 2. What infrastructure (hardware, software, development-tools, methods, technology) could implement the required functionality and what are the advantages and disadvantages, costs and benefits of each solution?

It seems so trivial, and so it is. Things right in front of you are often likely to be overlooked. A Dutch saying goes: 'Think before you start, and while busy keep on thinking'.

In summary: Put 'Web-based' in a historical-perspective. When you really want to take the lead, anticipate the moment (in two or three years!) when people will realise 'webbing' is not the ultimate solution. And assist the true-believers, with patience and consideration, gently to come down, into the Real-Reality.