On Thu, Oct 26, 2006 at 03:52:42PM +0200, Mats Elfström wrote:
> About Grande from MapWorld earlier this year.
>
> ...
>
> Perhaps you would like to see what you will be missing.
I don't miss what I haven't got.
On the other hand, I've noticed over the years that the level of
sophistication in the use of MapBasic (as seen from messages here) has been
steadily and continually rising. Perhaps there is some value in a
technology that remains stable long enough for people to gain some mastery
in the craft. A technology doesn't have to be an evolutionary dead end just
because it's not the latest and greatest. As long as it continues to do jobs
that need doing, it has a future. And as the level of skill rises in the
use of the "old" tools, they can develop new vitality.
I know it's a good thing to have new tools that do more than the old ones,
but frankly the rapid growth of computer technology and the racing pace of
software evolution is a little hard to keep up with. What results for most
people is that every 18 months or so we have to spend tine and money
upgrading to stay current with all the other lemmings. And then we're back
on the ground floor trying to learn how to use all these new tools.
Sometimes I feel like I'm being used by the new tools more than the other
way around.
I've always been surprised with what a clever programmer can do with just
MapBasic and a deep knowledge of the computer, so I wouldn't be surprised to
see MapBasic continue to enjoy a long life and continue to surprise us.
Also, there are still a lot of map-related jobs that don't require dot-NET
and 2 gigabytes of RAM and the most out-there compilers. For those who want
what Project Grande promised, there's the MapXtreme route, but I'm happy
that we still have MapBasic to kick around...
- Bill Thoen
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