Finding a Killer app for REBOL
[1/1] from: twatkins::datajunction::com at: 10-Aug-2001 10:13
As far as I am aware, a Killer app is generally something that is so
useful that it can and will improve the productivity of most if not
all of a specific group.
VisiCalc did this for Accountants, SQL did this for Databases.
One popular arena is Games, because of the 'burn rate' on games. It
can greatly improve the 'productivity'(Fun) of some or most of a
'community'(Gamers) but this gain is temporary and short-lived in
nature. Thereby allowing the application of another 'killer app' in
the same arena only a short time later(Allowing the creation of
'killer apps' based upon incremental improvements[Diablo 2, D2
Expansion, Warcraft expansion, Warcraft 2, Warcraft 2 expansion,
Starcraft Expansion, Quake(From Doom, which is a more typical 'pie
in the sky' killer app using a new methodology of display and
representation), Heretic, Quake 2, Quake 3, ...])
Usually a 'Killer app' is born when Computers are used to solve an
old problem in a new way for some other discipline, or in a fashion
that opens up a field to new people(ex: On-line stock trading).
So, What is a field/activity which is closed and restricted to a
small group based upon availability/usability?
Areas in which everyone is looking for improvements(And therefore
new tools[such as REBOL] are needed for new improvements):
1)Speeding up access to the internet
2)Faster boot-up
3)Reliability
4)Voice recognition
5)AI
6)Networked games(Speed/reliability/accessibility)
Incidental areas, in which there may be great room for improvement,
but the scale is smaller(and therefor less has already been done):
1) Lycos/Playsite client applications
2) Other client gaming applications(?)
3) Automation/cross-platform Scheduling
4) More effective advertising
5) Web based data harvesting(Including SSL, Dynamic Pages, login
sites, intelligent recursing[going down specific links or types of
links and collecting data from leaf node(s)], ...)[I just recently
finished working on the heart of a $25,000+ project that only had to
do the first three, and even then only on a specific set of almost
Identical sites where sessions of the exact path to be taken are
pre-recorded and only login information and the values for a few
fields near the end are supplied when the sessions are played
back{note: the 25K only includes the development time, not the
proprietary software to make use of the collected data),
unfortunately, the approach I took makes it all but impossible to
add in the intelligent recursing, that and the project was in
Java...]
These are by no means complete lists, these are just what I can come
up with off the top of my head, if you can think of any others,
please post those to the list as well.(even if you have no clue how
REBOL might be able to even affect the situation, We have a unique
resource here, a young language and the creator there of. I suspect
that there are no few Killer apps which would just require simple
additions to REBOL, even if Carl is the only one who knows how that
extension can be accomplished)
Just some thoughts.
Travis Watkins
Implementation Services
Data Junction Corporation
512.467.1801 x354
2110 White Horse #E
Austin, TX 78756
twatkins<at>datajunction<dot-com>
www.datajunction.com