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Crunched

mattmaroon.com

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Re: Crunched

#2
An Applet is not the programming equivalent of a phonograph.

I haven't been able to get an invite so I don't know how draftmix works. But using an applet for the live draft client gives me a huge advantage--I can use the same exact code on the client and server sides.

I assume you're using Flash on the client and something else on the server.

This means you have to maintain two versions of the same exact code. Every bug you find has to fixed twice.

-Ori http://www.fleaflicker.com/contact.do

Re: Crunched

#3

An Applet is not the programming equivalent of a phonograph. I haven't been able to get an invite so I don't know how draftmix works. But using an applet for the live draft client gives me a huge advantage--I can use the same exact code on the client and server sides. I assume you're using Flash on the client and something else on the server. This means you have to maintain two versions of the same exact code. Every…

An Applet is not the programming equivalent of a phonograph.

In terms of the timeline it is. It has been replaced by Flash and now AIR and Silverlight are trying to do what Applets were used for. SUN seems to be moving away from them as well, by introducing WebStart.

Re: Crunched

#4

An Applet is not the programming equivalent of a phonograph. I haven't been able to get an invite so I don't know how draftmix works. But using an applet for the live draft client gives me a huge advantage--I can use the same exact code on the client and server sides. I assume you're using Flash on the client and something else on the server. This means you have to maintain two versions of the same exact code. Every…

Java applets leave an antiquated impression with most, mainly because people still conjure up memories of applets from 5+ years ago. Painfully slow, buggy, overused.

The reality though is that applets are significantly faster now, and they are very powerful. But I doubt this will change the impression most people have of them. Flash does most of what you would need, and now there is AIR if you need access to the file system or other low level functionality.

I think a mistake Sun is making is with all the branding they do with applets. Showing a Java logo each time an applet launches is a shameless plug and leaves an impression that a lot of crap is loading. The bootstrap process should be more seamless, in my opinion. They still have not changed this as far as I know.

Re: Crunched

#5

An Applet is not the programming equivalent of a phonograph. I haven't been able to get an invite so I don't know how draftmix works. But using an applet for the live draft client gives me a huge advantage--I can use the same exact code on the client and server sides. I assume you're using Flash on the client and something else on the server. This means you have to maintain two versions of the same exact code. Every…

If you're using applets, I'm not using your site. Java plugin support in Linux, especially on 64-bit platforms, is not up to par. I have tried numerous times to get Java applets working in my browser before simply throwing up my hands and declaring that any site which used Java applets was not worth my time.

Flash is nearly as painful, but I was at least able to get it working. Additionally, with so many sites using Flash, it's hard to ignore all of them. I used Flashblock for a while because I was tired of pointless Flash (Flashblock allows you to activate a Flash object if you wish), but so many sites used Flash that I found the plugin to be a hindrance rather than something I appreciated.

Personally, if a site avoids using Flash or applets altogether (GMail comes to mind), I appreciate it that much more. When Javascript doesn't get the job done, Flash, to me, is definitely the lesser of two evils.

Re: Crunched

#6
what % of users in this market do you think care whether their fantasy sports site uses a java applet or flash?

Re: Crunched

#8
post #5

An Applet is not the programming equivalent of a phonograph. I haven't been able to get an invite so I don't know how draftmix works. But using an applet for the live draft client gives me a huge advantage--I can use the same exact code on the client and server sides. I assume you're using Flash on the client and something else on the server. This means you have to maintain two versions of the same exact code. Every…

If you're using applets, I'm not using your site. Java plugin support in Linux, especially on 64-bit platforms, is not up to par. I have tried numerous times to get Java applets working in my browser before simply throwing up my hands and declaring that any site which used Java applets was not worth my time. Flash is nearly as painful, but I was at least able to get it working. Additionally, with so many sites using…

Stop using Linux. Problem solved.

Re: Crunched

#9

An Applet is not the programming equivalent of a phonograph. I haven't been able to get an invite so I don't know how draftmix works. But using an applet for the live draft client gives me a huge advantage--I can use the same exact code on the client and server sides. I assume you're using Flash on the client and something else on the server. This means you have to maintain two versions of the same exact code. Every…

It does require separation of code, but not twice as much debugging. Every bug does not have to be fixed twice. It's similar to MVC architecture in a way, with the flex client being the view. I'd be surprised if the bug fixing isn't actually easier due to the separation.

Also, your goal in a startup is not to make it easy for you to code, but to make it easy for your users to play. (You only do the former where it assists with the latter.) Java does not accomplish that. People don't want to piss with JRE. It is a bloated nightmare that crashes people's systems, nags them about updates, slows down bootup, etc.

Everyone has Flash. In fact, more people have flash than javascript (turned on) making it the most commonly accepted environment. It and AJAX are really the only acceptable choices for a live draft.

Re: Crunched

#10
post #7
post #6

what % of users in this market do you think care whether their fantasy sports site uses a java applet or flash?

Because all sports fans are dumb?

Because when you're trying to pound down a nail, it doesn't matter what you use as a hammer.
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