With the launch of Google App Engine, it is quite possible that we are seeing another evolutionary step to the next generation of the web. The tools required to get more context and process around the information on the web is getting closer and closer to the masses who need them. This is not the last step, it is just another step. From what I can tell you still need to be a strong programmer to leverage the new Google App Engine. It really is just providing the "stack" or everything that you need behind the web application. And while it probably won't directly impact a lot of people in the learning world, it will indirectly.
As application tools get easier to create and easier to scale and easier to throw away, even more people will experiment and play around on the web. We created TwoBrains in just a few months, but we still had to pay for the back end. It was really cheap. I think I spent $1700 for two years of hosting and a little more for a domain name. Now the same application (theoretically) could sit on Google App Engine. You just cut $1700 off the cost.
Of course, it won't be perfect, many will complain about this or that, but the end result will be good for people who use the web. Just like many other things it will take some time, but this is a very good thing.
One thing about the GAE is that the programs built on top of it have to be in the native language that Google uses: Python.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that's still forward progress, I'm just commenting on your remark about "TwoBrains running on GAE" - it'd first have to be ported to Python in order for that to work. I don't think that was your point, though, but I just thought I'd clear that up in case you were thinking it's an engine for any/all applications.
I realized this was the case, but I imagine they will support Rails in the future. At one point in the presentation they mentioned wanting to be language neutral.
ReplyDeleteSo what is your opinion on GAE? Think it is way too risky to use right now? Your opinion is a lot more important then mine. I couldn't make a web app if I my life depended on it.
Rails? In the future? Really? Small fries like morph eXchange better get their platform out in the open before the cloud tsunami of Googs and the others hit the web.
ReplyDeleteOr pray that Bigtable remain with Python for a while, Lee :)
Best.
alain
Alain,
ReplyDeleteYou quickly exposed my lack of understanding in the development area. You don't think the Rails community is large enough for Google to develop or enable their solution to support it? Or are you saying that since everything at Google is already Python and they are just trying to leverage existing technologies, they really have no need or interest to support/address the Ruby/Rails community?
Thanks for the comment.
Lee
I've read a number of times that Google is pretty set on the existing technologies that they've chosen. That's not to say they aren't innovative and afraid of change, but it's usually built on top of the same core, I believe.
ReplyDeleteHowever.
Google is the type of place who has the talent/resources to make the App Engine "language agnostic" so to speak. So the language will not matter. While they may build their App Engine with Python, and they may run Python on all of their infrastructure, some day, it may not matter.
Personally, I can't even comprehend how something like that would work, but again, they have the talent/resources to figure that stuff out, and if it is possible, they'd be one of few who would provide a safe and reliable setup. They've already proven they know how to scale, they just have to figure out how to extend that knowledge to different applications, no matter the back-end. It seems crazy, but I imagine that it will happen at some point.
Thank you for the great advice.
ReplyDelete