
What Language Do I Use? - ArchyMcNally
I am in the process of developing a site similar to www.zazzle.com and www.cafepress.com. Being the non-technical creator, I am looking for the programming language that I need to use when looking for an appropriate programmer for developing this site with me. In your responses, I would greatly appreciate if you could estimate the time and cost it would take for a programmer to bring this site online. Thanks!!!
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chc
There is no answer to this question. It's like asking, "I need to communicate
with someone. What spoken language should I use?" The best answer is "the one
in which the speakers are the most fluent." The same is true for programming
languages, more or less. There are some wrong answers, but also a large number
of potentially right answers.

If you're starting a technology company and don't know a lot about technology,
picking a programming language is literally the _least_ of your problems. You
need to find a good software engineer. Once you have found one of those, he
can answer the language question far better than any of us could.

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ArchyMcNally
I understand this, but some software engineers have more experience on one
platform versus another(iPhone vrs Android vrs WM7). So when I am searching
for an software engineer, I want to make sure they can develop sites similar
to what I posted. On that note, where do you suggest finding "qualified"
software engineers? I joined a few meetups in NYC (where I live) and will be
attending them. Thanks!!!

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sp4rki
You need to be specific on what your needs are regarding platforms, though
that generally doesn't define which language to use; though there are
exceptions, like for example OSX and Obj-C... and even in this case you could
still end up using a different language altogether. If you need an iphone dev,
advertise for such. If you need a web dev, advertise for a web dev. You need
to make sure you have the right person for the job regardless of the language.

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rcfox
I'd go with English. You seem to be competent enough with that.

Oh, programming language? Well, if you don't have any opinion of your own, why
does it matter? Find a good programmer, and let her use whatever she's
comfortable with.

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ArchyMcNally
thanks for the response. and we'll definitely be using english since i haven't
studied spanish since high school. it's not that i don't have an opinion, it's
that i don't have enough information to form an opinion, hence, why i posted
on here. while i intend on finding a "good" programmer, i'd like to be able to
tell them what i need done in there language when i am searching for one.

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rcfox
> i'd like to be able to tell them what i need done in there language...

When you say "in their language", do you mean "putting it in terms that they
will understand", or "telling them exactly how to write the code"?

Neither of these should really be necessary. You should be able to state your
requirements, and then follow up with any clarifications if necessary. Since
you've taken the role of "non-technical creator", it's probably best if you're
not involved with the actual design of the code. (Not including how the site
behaves, looks, etc.)

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ArchyMcNally
I am not sure of the "requirements" that are needed. I know what the site
needs to do and what our goal is. We have a team in place that will handle the
design and look of the site, but I need to develop a relationship with someone
that can develop the back-end and the features that will be needed to make the
site cohesive and work.

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sp4rki
Programming languages are really case specific and preferences of the
programmers. The truth is it really doesn't matter what language is chosen,
the only thing that matters is that you get an awesome team of programmers and
designers to work on your project. You don't need to be able to tell the
programmer what you want regarding code, you need to be able to define the
business logic of the building blocks to your application and take it from
there one iteration at a time.

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ArchyMcNally
Gotcha!

If I go onto sites and am searching for the development work that I need to
have done, you suggest saying that I want a site similar to zazzle and
cafepress (I'm talking about their design boxes where you create and edit your
creations) instead of posting what language I need to software engineer to be
able to code in?

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sp4rki
Yeah, the language is irrelevant at this stage in your applications life
cycle. I would understand having to use a specific language because of
existing code, or because its the convention of the current workforce, but for
a project that hasn't even started yet I'd focus on the quality of my
programmers before any language preference.

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ArchyMcNally
Programmers all have a specialty (designing for web based apps vrs mobile apps
vrs software apps). So in picking the "right" team, I'd like to make sure that
they can develop what I need develop. Now, because what I what done has been
developed by other sites, I'd like to be able to tell my prospective team what
we'll be doing. Is it enough to say that I want to develop a site similar to
zazzle and cafepress or do I need to tell them that zazzle and cafepress use
XYZ kind of language?

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rcfox
> Programmers all have a specialty (designing for web based apps vrs mobile
> apps vrs software apps).

So specifically say that you're looking for a web developer. This is a
standard thing to do.

> Is it enough to say that I want to develop a site similar to zazzle and
> cafepress

Well, no. I'd say that as it is, this description is both too much and too
little. It's too much in that it sounds like you're trying to make a quick
buck by ripping off other people. It's too little in that you don't say why
it's an interesting idea, and why people would use your site instead of the
others. (However, that's probably not something that you want to share
publicly at the moment.) It might just be best to say that you want to develop
a website and then give more details later.

> or do I need to tell them that zazzle and cafepress use XYZ kind of
> language?

Unless you're hiring developers to work for Zazzle or Cafepress, no. Anyone
competent will already know which languages work well for this kind of
project, and will have an opinion on which one should be used.

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ArchyMcNally
All very good points! And I misspoke when I said I wanted to develop a site
similar to zazzle and cafepress. What I want to know is, what do you need to
use to create their product developer and the ability to compensate the
designers that put their work on the site.

