[Author Prev][Author Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Author Index][Thread Index]

RE: [school-discuss] Web-based School Administration...



On Thu, 2003-08-21 at 12:52, Chris Puttick wrote:

> 
> What does a web interface do for a developer? It gives him less
> interface tools to work with.

So probably requires more skill to achieve the goals.

>  Anything a web interface can do (UI
> speaking) a regular GUI can, but the reverse is not true.

Maybe so, but the price to pay for it is additional cost - a lot of
additional cost. We need to get away from the assumption that every
terminal has to be able to do absolutely everything. Its just bad
management to do things like that. In truth if all your worker needs to
do is word processing, providing a web browser is simply a distraction.
Provide tools on the basis of what is needed and at the best
cost-benefit point.

>  It adds
> complexity because it must maintain a stateless connection and
> complexity means bugs. The only positive advantage is that it is cross
> platform (at least potentially). Heck I use Mozzilla, but I have to keep
> IE around because some web sites require it.

Mainly that is a historical thing that has resulted from bad practise of
not agreeing and sticking to open standards. To make progress we need to
move forwards not backwards. 

Personally I see very few school admin applications that can not be done
thin client and in most cases entirely web based if they were planned
like that from the start. Let's face it, if I can do my personal
financial transactions over a web connection the security isn't as bad
as all that. Probably more chance of leaving a piece of paper lying
around that shouldn't be. School admin systems are just database apps
for the most part and there are many of these eg PostgreSQL with PHP
scripted front end that work perfectly happily.

-- 
ian <ian.lynch2@ntlworld.com>