Microsoft vs Open Source Web Development

What do you guys think about Microsoft Web Development (Silverlight, ASP.net, etc) vs Open Source Web Development (PHP, MySQL, etc)? I ask because while I still believe I'm leaving technology I am looking into some alternatives to what I do now (helpdesk) and I am wondering about job outlook. Also, because I was a student I got a lot of the Microsoft software for free (an initiative to get students to go with Microsoft products). I like the idea of open source and I don't rule out switching to it, but right now it's about job outlook.

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Chris:/*

With programming I prefer the Open Source stuff and Java over all of MS code bases. Microsoft really keeps adopting new shiny tech into their code library and not fully testing it. Just because programmers want it right now does not mean you should release the product. This has caused much of their code base to be much less stable but it has caused their languages to quickly advanced though. You can still do the same work with the open source languages but you do not have a pretty little packaged tool that has the code in it for you already. As far as security goes in comparison ASP has far more vulnerabilities than its open source competitors.

Now all that being said MS is learning from its mistakes and trying very hard to improve their stuff. Learning any of the technologies are not going to hurt you and you have people who are fanboys of either side.

If you want to learn how to program properly though do not use Visual Studio (if you can) it cans processes and produces code that violates a lot of the best practices out there. With Microsoft languages you do not have much of a choice but when doing PHP, Perl, Java and so forth use Netbeans, Notepad++ or Eclipse Classic.

powerfool

Java makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a spoon... and I programmed in it before all of these crappy platforms that they came out with. You don't even have to know Java anymore... you just have to know the specific platform you are using.

I like PHP, but .Net is pretty good stuff, too.

msteinhilber

I prefer an open source environment for all of the web work I've done, largely because it's what I'm used to. MS has some nice stuff too, I just know too little and for what little bit of work I do for web sites it's not worth me vesting any time to learn something else.

If I were going to make a career out of it in my current region at this time, I'd learn what Microsoft has to offer. I see far more job's out there in my market in that realm than I see people looking for the other.

RobertKaucher

I'm not sure how to write this. If you have an inclination to these things I think that the MS technologies are quite amazing. Silverlight is one of the coolest technologies I have worked with and it is a minor, but very important, part of my toolset. Check out the Silverlight Showcase on http://www.Silverlight.net

SQL Server + SharePoint + Silverlight

infoman66

To me as a freelancer is much closer to the open source platform than misrosoft (of course due to the price) ...
I think the background is far more powerful Microsoft platform because of links to development tools (NET platform C + + etc) ...
Generally for a large company I would suggest the Microsoft platform, and for every other opportunity open source ...
Another thing that bothers me the front page extensions, and IE explorer with its bugs ...

Chris:/*

More powerful no, easier to use for the less theoretically inclined yes.

Bl8ckr0uter

How difficult is it to pick up web development?

Chris:/*

Starting out it is very easy, but to create dynamic graphical websites that load very fast with low connection speeds and are compatible across multiple browsers your difficulty goes up.

Start out by learning HTML, XHTML, DOM, CSS and Javascript since they dominate the web landscape then move on to other dynamic languages or compile your talents together to create AJAX based websites. WC3schools.com has great free resources to get you started and you can download Netbeans or Eclipse for free to practice your code in a full scope IDE or Notepad++ for quick code editing.

Bl8ckr0uter

Chris:/* wrote: »

Starting out it is very easy, but to create dynamic graphical websites that load very fast with low connection speeds and are compatible across multiple browsers your difficulty goes up.

Start out by learning HTML, XHTML, DOM, CSS and Javascript since they dominate the web landscape then move on to other dynamic languages or compile your talents together to create AJAX based websites. WC3schools.com has great free resources to get you started and you can download Netbeans or Eclipse for free to practice your code in a full scope IDE or Notepad++ for quick code editing.

I should say that I am not a complete noob. Back in HS, I took formal classes on HTML/XML and did some CSS, MySQL, and ASP.NET programming. It has been years since I have touched that though. I am mostly wanting to pick it back up for the purposes of being a better security analyst, not a developer.

Chris:/*

Look at the training GIAC provides for Web based security that may help quite a bit.

RobertKaucher

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

I should say that I am not a complete noob. Back in HS, I took formal classes on HTML/XML and did some CSS, MySQL, and ASP.NET programming. It has been years since I have touched that though. I am mostly wanting to pick it back up for the purposes of being a better security analyst, not a developer.

Have you seen hack this site?

Bl8ckr0uter

RobertKaucher wrote: »

Have you seen hack this site?

I've heard of it. I need to get my web knowledge up a bit so I can get pass the basic missions.

Any suggestions on material?