[LUGSB] Blackboard Javascript bug on Linux workaround

[John Zabroski]

"Michael F. Lamb" <mike at datagrok.org> wrote:> But the real thing these companies get paid for is handling data.  Nobody in school administration gives a damn about functionality -- they care about the data.

Sorry, do you mean, making the software talk to SOLAR for class records? Or maintaining the infrastructure so the school doesn't have to? Or something else?

Here is what you won't learn in a Computer Science course that will ring true until the end of time: Businesses will pay you to throw away their applications so long as you can preserve their data!  The real challenge to getting into the market niche that Blackboard currently penetrates is to grow through a different niche and then, once you have become the team the school calls to solve problems, be there with a solution to replace Blackboard.

There is open source alternatives to Blackboard, too.  Moodle and .LRN.  .LRN is based off of Philip Greenspun's OpenACS, which was in turn based on ArsDigita (http://philip.greenspun.com/wtr/arsdigita-server-architecture).  Packt Publishing has two books about Moodle, one for teachers and one for admins!

I never took a course in developing web applications.

Your cynicism about passion is noted, but disappointing.  My friends who I admire the most are the ones who take a problem I consider boring and turn it into something interesting.

Today's blogging technologies and message board forum technologies are pretty boring to me.  I use mailing lists for most of my communication, and don't run a blog.  When I post at message board, it is not because of the killer technology but because there is a community already there that I want to be a part of.

       
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