This post was deleted by Rob

Re: MyLaszlo

Good stuff.

One of the main difficulties in learning RIA development is that they require more "moving pieces" than your typical ASP/PHP/Flash web-based application. Knowing Flash and PHP helps, but Flex and Laszlo are both Java-based and you really need to have knowledge of things like Tomcat, MVC, Struts, JDBC, etc to build anything meaningful. A Java programmer is a lot closer to being able to crank out a Flex or Lazslo app your typical ASP/JSP/Flash Designer guy, and that is really scary to me because we know what kind of UIs programmers generate.

I am a web developer who knows JSP and a little bit of Java. I have been messing around with Flex for a few months no and one of the main difficulties I have encountered is that if you are not a hard core Java developer, it's hard to move beyond the basic MXML stuff.

What I believe would be very useful is something similar to the Java "Pet Store", which is a basic application that is all put together and shows best operating practices. This way a designer/flash person who wants to get started learning RIA developement in a real-world way could download the example and corresponding software (Tomcat, MySQL, Struts, schemas, etc) thats all set up and ready to go. Then they could build from there and start cranking out some cool stuff.

I think it's important that there is code out there to get designers over the hump of setting up a working environment to learn RIA development. Most designer/flash folks don't have a java coder sitting next to them to set up their environment and get them on the right track. It will be a shame if this technology is relegated to J2EE coders building bar-chart software for insurance companies. I want to see this stuff in the hands of creative folks building the next flickr or del.icio.us.