Switched Keys

<posted on it-toolbox.com>

I returned to school today for the first day of the new semester, and it seems reason has made a breakthrough.

As many of you know, institutions tend to favor the more respectable software packages, and not necessarily the most used. One case in particular is the use of Dreamweaver as a web-developer tool. It is probably the most used tool for designing web pages, and has been for years. However, the web design class at my school uses Web Expressions by Microsoft, an item I hadn't heard of until this school year. It's Microsoft, it's respected.

I've heard a lot about Microsoft's other web tool, Frontpage, and it hasn't been good. Still, Microsoft is respected in the business community, and by extension, it will be in academia. It is true that Microsoft Office and Windows have matured, but that doesn't mean their siblings are the same.

In my Database Design class, the RDMS of choice has been Oracle. It figures that it would be that or something like Microsoft SQL Server. They are respected systems. They are not bad tools, but they are not the best or the most used. To my pleasant surprise, that class this semester will be focusing instead on MySQL, the reason being the widespread use of it in local businesses.

In addition, the introductory theme of most of my classes is that we will be doing more hands on, practical work. It is true that classes may be more difficult and more time-consuming, but in the end they should be more useful. For me, for anyone I may work for. In an area (education) that is resistant to change, that is good news.