Gray's Matter
Justice Gray - North America's Favorite Metrosexual Software Consultant

 

ASP.NET WebForms developers throwing a tantrum due to the MS MVC
Seriously guys, I'm going to run out of images if this keeps up


Apparently there are some WebForms lovers in the ASP.NET community who love the technology soooooo much that they were "not without a tinge of anger" when discussing the situation at PDC with Phil Haack, the program manager for the Microsoft MVC.  Can an online petition a la the oh-so-successful "Keep VB6 around because I'm tired of learning new stuff" be far behind? 

I had to laugh when reading the post, and not because of the image of a legion of "professional software developers" standing in front of Phil, looking down at their feet, hands in their pockets muttering, "If you don't stop progressing the industry, I'm going to burn my pocket protector".  No, I laughed because I know how Phil Haack *really* feels about WebForms development despite his public stance.  Let me share with you a heretofore-*confidential* exchange between myself and Phil:

From: Phil Haack (haack420_ForLife@Microsoft.com)
To: Justice Gray [E-mail censored because I get enough unsolicited offers for sexual favors]
Subject: I need your advice
So there was a homeless guy wandering outside the 7-11 tonight and what a sob story this guy had.  "Excuse me, sir...but I used to have a job doing ASP.NET WebForms development..."  I didn't even hear the rest of his sentence but when I heard the word "WebForms" I just snapped.  Kicked that dude in the nuts *17 times*, poured a can of gasoline on him and then SET HIM ON FIRE, yelling,
"Burn!!!!  Burn like the careers of everyone who still does WebForms development!!!" 

So do you think I went too far?*
"

I had originally sent this E-mail to the local authorities but the Seattle police simply told me that they don't have the manpower to handle the sheer outbreak of people crying their eyes out on the streets about
a) how they do WebForms development
b) they feel "betrayed" by the very *existence* of the Microsoft MVC
c) they fear change.  I don't mean the change people throw at them while yelling "Get a *REAL* job" either.

There's not really much I can say to this reaction.  We talked about it briefly a couple of months back when "Mr. Drag and Drop" GridViewGuy dropped by Rob Conery's to say, "BOOOOO HOOOOO TESTING IS HARD STUFF, hold my hand so I can start doing competent work".  There's pretty much no way I can possibly relate.  What I can tell you however, is that if you like sleeping on a bed of money, you should learn the MVC.    If only you knew how much people like me make cleaning up WebForms projects gone wrong!!!  With every half-assed DotNetNuke implementation I save somebody from, it's another *10 billion dollars* in my pocket.  Hey, to all of you people soiling yourselves because WebForms is dying: maybe some of you suckers should spend less time doing this:

ASP.NET WebForms developers: on the streets because of MS MVC


and more time doing this:

WebForms developers need to stop whining and start showering!!


I take donations for SAVING YOUR CAREER.  Contact me if you need to send me money!

* Sincerely, the homeless are people too and deserve to be treated with respect.  Not WebForms developers though.

Comments

Adam Kahtava

Forget about saving your career. Save your life! Phil is on a rampage, avoid being beat and burned by the Haack. Switch to MVC!

This post had me laughing out loud! If it weren't for MVC I'd be kissing ASP.NET goodbye.

Reply

Haacked

Ooooohhh booooy...

You make my life difficult, Mr. Justice, with your completely fabricated "confidential exchanges". I would never be caught dead outside of a 7-11.

Perhaps "tinge of anger" was even too strong of words. Even so, I meant what I said. I still like Web Forms. I'm spending part of my time helping out with making Web Forms better based on lessons learned with MVC.

Remember the first time you started doing web forms after classic ASP? I remember thinking it was very cool. I think Web Forms are still good for many people.

Sure, I'm biased and personally would use ASP.NET MVC, but that doesn't mean I go around kicking Web Form devs in the nuts. That could make things awkward around here at work.

I understand there are cases and situations in which people would choose Web Forms and they shouldn't have to feel like pariahs for doing so.

Stop the WebForm discrimination! Web Form developers are people too!

It's got its good points and bad points like any other technology including MVC.

If you weren't such a (self described) seething cauldron of rampaging masculinity, I'd have to kick you in the nuts outside of a 7-11, but as I said, I wouldn't be caught dead outside of a 7-11.

I would like to retain your services for artwork on my future blog posts though. ;)

Reply

#3 Rob Conery  on 11/19/2008 6:04:00 PM

Rob Conery

LIES! Phil took me to 7-11 for Hot Pockets last night! Invited me to dinner, then took me to 7-11 to beat up some homeless webforms guys. Then he told me to "get me some HOT POCKETS bitch!".

Totally Fight Club.

That's really what it is - Phil is the ringleader of the MVC Fight Club. I know we're not supposed to talk about it... but...

Justice can I have a poster of you? Posing on the hood of your Firebird with your Stetson is what I'm thinking. Phil has one and I'm really jealous.

Reply

Scott Galloway

I'm biased in this argument as the PM who 'owns' WebForms on the team. We're well aware of the limitations which WebForms has and we are working to improve matters; including stealing some tricks from MVC's arsenal such as Routing support and a bit more control over markup / making ViewState more flexible. WebForms is not the solution to all problems, but it is quick to learn and quick to develop applications with; I've spent the last 8 years using WebForms...but yes it has limitations in more advanced scenarios.
No, WebForms is not going away any time soon, but we also don't have our heads in the sand concerning the realities of using them...  

Reply

Haacked

p.s. Scott Galloway is my office mate. Our battles are titanic, often reducing building 42 to rubble, until the Microbots rebuild it for the next day.

I now need to go register for the alias: haack420_ForLife.

Reply

tasarım

Man i really had laugh hard while reading it. While i know its being exaggerated but i still loved the way of saying get the .... out of Web forms.
But i like web forms too, easy drag & drop and you have a website. For customers with not so much money

Reply

Ben Scheirman

Can't....stop....laughing...

Seriously, I think I may put this artwork in my next MVC talk.  With credit, or course, bro!

Reply

Igor Petrushenko

Please, consider http://www.MyTaskHelper.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.MyTaskHelper.com if you are talking about web forms. It allows you to create and share online databases using Widgets - web forms.


Thank you,
Sincerely,
Igor,
http://www.MyTaskHelper.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.MyTaskHelper.com

Reply

翻译公司

Thank you,

Reply

翻译公司

Man i really had laugh hard while reading it. While i know its being exaggerated but i still lov

Reply

Salman Khan

This is a TEST Comment
Salman Khan
http://www.google.com/

Reply

RC

@Justice Gray

Can I kick you in your nuts, every time you made a 'wrong' choice (once heavily promoted and widely hailed) by using a certain technology? And how many times should I kick your nuts? 20 will do?

No, I don't do web development so I have never used ASP.NET web forms or ASP.NET MVC.

Remember: ASP.NET MVC wont be here forever either! I promise you.

RC

Reply

RC,

a) I never make any wrong choice.  EVER.  So your current kick count would be 0.

b)  Can I kick you in your nuts every time you make a 3rd grade reading comprehension mistake?  20 will do?
No one has said MVC will be around forever.  This post doesn't either!

I'm saying people being scared of change, of learning, and of challenging themselves is the problem.  That was the message of this post.  

You won't hear me whining when another technology comes out that is superior to MVC and Microsoft moves over there either, because I happen to believe in progress.

-Justice

Reply

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