Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: SDK or not

Author:Jacob Levy
Posted:8/5/1999; 1:56:16 PM
Topic:Yusuf Mehdi on Instant Messaging
Msg #:9188 (In response to 9178)
Prev/Next:9187 / 9189

OK, I'm fed up by the constant whining of "usability experts". There is no way around this issue -- if you want to do interesting things with computers, you have to know how to program. Writing HTML or XML is also programming.

And while I'm at it, an SDK is surely a better way to program this stuff than, say, exposing your "domain experts" to the wire protocol. If you want to access an IM server through HTML using the wire protocol.. the mind shudders at how complicated that would be.

The reason I'm opposed to an SDK (and I think from reading Dave's comments he's on the same page here) is that it spells platform lock-in. The wire protocol, OTOH, means platform freedom at both ends of the wire. AOL is opposed to that because they'll lose eyebals pointed at their servers, and Microsoft is opposed because they'll lose client seats.

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