Comments on: Is SharePoint Worth Learning?

By: Chris Quick

Chris Quick — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:08:23 +0000

@Systems Business Manager, of course the product could go the way of Lotus Notes/Domino — any product can fail and we all know Microsoft has not been immune from failed products (Ahem, Vista, Windows ME). However, I don’t see failure for SharePoint any time soon as the product gains more momentum with each new release.

However, Christophe does make an excellent point in his comments to this post: http://www.endusersharepoint.com/2009/11/18/google-sites-vs-sharepoint-give-it-a-rest-would-you/

One thing that could potentially hurt SharePoint are the long development cycles for Microsoft products. Many of their competitors are releasing in shorter cycles so they are able to release new features in shorter bursts. This is something that Microsoft will need to address.

By: Systems Business Manager

Systems Business Manager — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:22:23 +0000

@Chris…thank you for making the point about the author’s obvious background in a previously “hot” and indisputable communication/colloboration enterprise platform. I believe this is true for many developers and sys admins. While Mark is truly a “fan” and believer of Sharepoint and it is also true that it has the power in MS backing, ten years ago, Lotus was highly popular and used by the likes of the CIA and other organizations requiring sound security and/or flexibility in allowing users of all levels to utilize its colloboration features. The author was simply asking if Sharepoint could eventually go the way of Lotus Notes/Domino.

By: Randy

Randy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:04:55 +0000

@Mark – I know there was some tongue-in-cheek on your part. And maybe snark is the wrong word. But the emailer’s background implies a significant investment into a platform and I thought he/she deserved more than a casual dismissal. However, that is just my opinion and the give-and-take is what makes things interesting. :)

@Chris – I’m not challenging the value of Sharepoint or Microsoft’s commitment to the platform. Simply busting on Mark a bit about the tone of the post. I think your response provides some of the insights the emailer was seeking.

By: Chris Quick

Chris Quick — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:39:01 +0000

I am with Mark on this one. I have watched SharePoint evolve over the last seven years, and the evolution of the product shows that Microsoft is very interested in using this platform. Not only that, many third party vendors are no longer ignoring the platform.

I am in the higher education space and several of our vendors are beginning to invest heavily into SharePoint solutions for their products. Datatel, a provider or ERP systems for higher education, has a product built on top of SharePoint 2007. They have invested heavily in Silverlight for their end-user interface into the back-end system. With this investment and the silverlight capabilities coming with SharePoint 2010, I may soon be redirecting my ERP system users to SharePoint. Other packages are beginning to appear in the education space that leverage SharePoint (not to mention the business environment).

True, SharePoint is not the silver bullet. However, as more products are becoming available for the platform and more organizations are deploying the platform, I am beginning to see fewer positions for developers that do not require at least some level of SharePoint knowledge.

By: George W

George W — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:38:14 +0000

LOL at the church comment. That said, it does take a while for someone to be able to ‘think’ in Sharepoint.

Staying power? Yes, all the power of MSoft

By: SharePoint Daily

SharePoint Daily — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:49:50 +0000

New Open Source Alternative to Sharepoint; Good Vibes for Microsoft Cloud Computing; Chrome May Shift OS Landscape…

Top News Stories SharePoint Muscles Into Records Management Systems (Search CIO) Forthcoming data from…

By: EndUserSharePoint

EndUserSharePoint — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:19:52 +0000

Randy, let’s try this again. Here’s the original question:

“What do you think….is Sharepoint something I should jump in and learn immediately. Do you see Sharepoint having staying power for some time?”

My response still stands: do your homework. Look at the platform and decide for yourself if it’s something you want to participate in. I listed why it might be a good bet. A little snarky, sure, but still, the points were all sincere.

As far as the tone of the response, I thought it was pretty humorous, myself. “… is like asking a priest if he thinks the Catholic Church is something to ‘jump in on’.” Come on! You’ve got to give me that one.

Mark

By: Randy

Randy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:41:06 +0000

The email author was asking a question that many devs are asking as they see Sharepoint gain traction and strive to overcome it’s less than stellar reputation. This was a good opportunity to describe why you thought Sharepoint was a compelling career path and instead you responded with snark from on high.

There are other ECM platforms/supporting languages the author could choose. The fact that Microsoft is creating deeper levels of integration among it’s product lines does not address the underlying theme of the question: “Why should I choose to develop on Sharepoint?” Your answer seems to be, “Because it’s Microsoft! If you had done your homework, you would know that you silly rabbit.”

This is a good blog and I expect more than admonishment from the priesthood. Humility and a welcoming good humor creates many more converts. I bet the author of the email would agree.