I agree with this sentiment generally, but one needs to carefully consider and be willing to champion those "good reasons" because they are not uncommon. Especially for those in a leadership element, it i vital to look to the future. I've just come into what is largely a ColdFusion shop. I have enough ColdFusion in my background to work with what we have, but ColdFusion is becoming less common and I'm not sure how secure of a future it has. In addition, a lot of the database-driven stuff has been built using Access, which is quick and easy, but not what I would characterize as "stable". The rest has been built using a more conventional MySQL model. I'm essentially transitioning us over to a PHP environment, and at some point I want all of our databases to be either MySQL (which would be just fine for all of our web stuff) or another robust model (for data-heavy applications). In addition, I'm continuing some of what was done prior to my arrival in moving toward a CMS for the main web site. This will mean a lot of rebuilding and a lot of culture change, but it's a move away from something proprietary and unsustainable to common web technologies, which are not only more stable and sustainable, but put us in a place organizationally where it's easier to find and hire technical replacements. Respecting local practice only has meaning for as long as the local practice charts an effective course for the organization. There are plenty of folks who, because it easier, will happily continue with local standards until an organization is running systems that are so proprietary as to be useless.

Best regards,

Jason Bengtson, MLIS, MA
Head of Library Computing and Information Systems
Assistant Professor, Graduate College
Department of Health Sciences Library and Information Management
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
405-271-2285, opt. 5
405-271-3297 (fax)
[log in to unmask]
http://library.ouhsc.edu
www.jasonbengtson.com

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On Mar 26, 2014, at 7:29 AM, Ian Ibbotson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Not sure this adds much, but just to +1 the "Every programmer their
> language; every language their programmer." line from Becky...
> 
> I also teach web architectures as an associate lecturer in sheffield, and
> one of the first things I tell students is that no matter what the features
> of the problem space, or their own preference, local practice is always the
> top trump. Students are warned that trying to "Convert" a
> person/organisation is a massive deal and something only to be undertaken
> with exceptionally good reasons (And with a gentle plan for culture change
> rather than a technical one). Because of that, students go out into the
> world having at least had a taste of .net, php and java, and with an
> expectation that they will turn their hand to whatever is needed. Of course
> each has their own style, preference and favourites, and they are often
> given free reign. I do hope its the case though that at least amongst
> professional software engineers, the days of "My fave language is better
> than your fave language" are long gone. The best coders I know are the ones
> always trying to learn something new, even if they only apply that back to
> their existing work.
> 
> Like most things, it's the person not the language that make the real
> difference. From the point of view of the book, I really hope it features
> people who are enthusiastic in each of their areas. Rather than trying to
> create a methodology for selecting one language to rule them all given a
> particular problem (As if such a thing could exist in a really meaningful
> way) the approach of showcasing great case studies seems the right way to
> go to me. Letting people pick-and-choose the things that suit personal
> style and environmental constraints without making too many value
> judgements - as seems to be the general idea - is the way to go.
> 
> Looking forward to seeing the book!
> 
> e
> 
> 
> Ian Ibbotson
> Director
> Knowledge Integration Ltd
> 35 Paradise Street, Sheffield. S3 8PZ
> T: 0114 273 8271
> M: 07968 794 630
> W: http://www.k-int.com
> 
> 
> On 26 March 2014 12:04, Riley Childs <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
>> I agree, I use VBS (Visual Basic Script) for most automation, including
>> logon scripting. If you have even one Windows PC, it is worth it.
>> 
>> Riley Childs
>> Student
>> Asst. Head of IT Services
>> Charlotte United Christian Academy
>> (704) 497-2086
>> RileyChilds.net
>> Sent from my Windows Phone, please excuse mistakes
>> ________________________________
>> From: Becky Yoose<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: 3/26/2014 7:49 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
>> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] CFP: A Librarian's Introduction to Programming
>> Languages
>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I don't believe that Basic has much of a presence in library development
>>> outside of Microsoft application scripting. Of course, there are likely
>>> quite a few 10 year old VB apps out there.
>>> 
>>> 
>> Considering that OCLC Macro Language is very similar to VB, as well as many
>> Windows OS based automation languages, a intro to VB would be very welcome
>> for those of us of a Technical Services persuasion.
>> 
>> Every programmer their language; every language their programmer.
>> 
>> Cheers,
>> Becky
>>