From SOA buzzwords to WS-Confusion and back to Earth

In brief, I was not very interested in web services and tried not to get involved as it was possible. Shame on me.

# Why have I chosen this course?
Honestly, there were two possible alternatives to choose from and I did this choice at random way. Okay, okay, it was not so simple. The description of this course looked better, because there were: A long text – too long for me to read it all, B many clever words – I do love clever words. I always try not to regret decisions I’ve made. I don’t regret.

# What is the added value (if any) of attending this course for you, as a future software systems architect (please maintain this longer-term perspective)? What is the immediate benefit for you (if any) in your current professional situation?
I have a big hesitation of me being a software architect; it simply does not correspond to my future plans. Regardless of this fact I can precisely describe the added value I’ve gained:
1. I broadened my web knowledge field;
2. I found new ways to develop few ideas of my own;
3. I gained more experience in some particular sphere (okay, okay, it’s PHP Soap Client );
4. I changed my mind and now I think SOA is really cool.

# How do you see SOA in 5 years from now?
Honestly, I don’t care. But I guess there is no obligation to become service-oriented for everything. Nothing stays constant but change. I think, major part of today’s technologies will be replaced/forgotten/developed in 5 years.
I don’t know, but I guess there will be small business’ web solutions in old plain static HTML form until the Doom’s day

# What are the pros and cons of “totally online” computing? Think of the Yahoo Pipes – you basically depend totally on the connections.
I guess everything converges towards ‘totally online’ point. So do I It’s because of the law of the nature to behave in a certain way to be as worth as possible to the system you belong to (or you can call it the herd instinct). If system needs you to go ‘totally online’, you do. If you don’t, you are an exception not worth to pay any attention to ((C) prof. S. Raudys ), because you don’t fit to statistics = it’s abnormal. I don’t know is it wrong or is it right, it is as it is, I guess.
Great idea for my master thesis…

# How would you use Web 2.0 in a commercial projects? Web 2.0 is, in short: social computing + data mash-ups + rich interfaces.
I don’t know, I have nothing in common with commerce, but an object Jonathan Briggs talked about really impressed me. I guess, I will offer to use some of those web solutions in my job or (in worst case) in my personal site

# How would have you organized this course if given a chance? Please think both from the contents and the form perspective.
I would leave as it is. I don’t know, maybe lectures could be shorter (it was a really hard task for me to stay attentive after few hours). I missed any kind of more concentrated literature. I know what Google is, but I am a lazybones I’m leaving to Switzerland this autumn and still considering the possibility to choose similar course in ETH Zurich. I guess I could tell how this course should be organized then.

# What the lecturers were good at?
I don’t know, but in my opinion the best move lecturers have done was inviting other people to talk about SOA – they looked more prepared. Anyway, this course was the least boring one this semester and it was not so difficult to make me attend lectures.

# What the lecturers did wrong?
I don’t know how much project management is related to this course, but there was too much talking from this point of view to my taste. I guess other students liked it more, but I am definitely not ‘other student’.
There were too many ‘lyrics’, I guess, it occupied even the major part of lectures’ time. But never mind, I’m not ‘other student’