ArcGIS Desktop Code Challenge?

January 24th, 2007 · 12 Comments · ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Server, ESRI

I seem to have stirred up a couple of ArcGIS Desktop developers. They want to know why ESRI isn’t having an ArcGIS Desktop Code Challenge like the Server contest. I don’t know either and it seems a little weird to me how Desktop is getting pushed aside lately. I’ll say this, I don’t know too many developers really getting into ArcGIS Server 9.2 so I’m guessing you’ll have a great shot at winning a prize if you enter some code.

We've come to bury ArcGIS Desktop, not to praise it

Tags: ESRI Developer Summit·Events

12 responses so far ↓

1 Adena Schutzberg // Jan 24, 2007 at 4:35 pm

It’s a common marketing strategy to use a contest to get developers to get started on a new products/API. Depending on the rules, the entries may become demos or case studies down the road. That’s sometimes the price of the prize. Finally, it’s good PR. Recall the SRC “dashup” contest for example.
2 Lefty // Jan 24, 2007 at 8:14 pm

Adena, I’m sure James is very aware of the why. IF you had been at the first Dev Summit you would have felt like many of us do. Desktop is a second class citizen. Marketing or not, Desktop is more important to the future of ESRI than Server will ever be.
3 anon // Jan 24, 2007 at 8:40 pm

James, your blog just cracks me up. Somehow you are able to maintain humor all the time, yet still get your point across.

As a Desktop developer, I don’t understand why ESRI doesn’t push our work harder. Then again there are thousands of great “scripts” in ArcScripts, unlike AGS or ArcIMS. We are the silent majority that lets ESRI make follish mistakes such as ArcReader and ArcGIS Explorer.
4 Petz // Jan 25, 2007 at 2:45 am

Well, yesterday I attended a presentation by Dave Maguire where he talked at length about ArcGIS Server and how they want to be the pioneers of what he coined the GeoWeb (equalling that with Web 2.0, buzz words galore!) .

He didn’t mention desktop in the whole presentation and I do feel that they want to try and move away from desktop GIS as we know it now and try and focus on providing tools for “GIS Web Services”.

What I didn’t understand was the business logic behind that and how they are planning to adapt ESRI, a company started in the 70’s and I believe still run very much like a traditional software business, into a Internet Company with a Web 2.0 Business Model?
5 Doug // Jan 25, 2007 at 8:14 am

Petz, the Web 2.0 business model is to make some neat-o product for teenagers and then to have Google buy you out. If ESRI stays a traditional software developer with revenue streams, R&D, support, marketing and all that I think many people will be quite happy.
6 Petz // Jan 25, 2007 at 8:49 am

Well specifically Dave Maguire said that their view of the development of the “Geoweb” would also need a new business model, although he never developed this model during his presentation.

I must say I was more confused as to if his presentation was concerned about developments of the geospatial industry/applications in general or specifically of ESRI.
7 Bill Dollins // Jan 25, 2007 at 9:32 am

Controversy? You? Never!

Love the graphic and the rollover.
8 Rob // Jan 25, 2007 at 11:39 am

The plan is to have other code challenges throughout the year. This one is for Server code but in the future we hope to do one for Desktop and / or Engine code and possibly other areas of ArcGIS. I’m open to suggestions.

At the Developer Summit, there will be lots of .NET and JAVA session related to ArcGIS Server but there will also be a full track for the Engine and Desktop developer so if you are not a Server developer, don’t worry, there will be non Server content at the Summit.
9 Lefty // Jan 25, 2007 at 12:44 pm

I’m of the feeling that for developers, this is our woodstock (at least ESRI devs). I guess these days there isn’t much difference between engine and desktop (though I’d say its still very different at the low end) I would hope there would be more desktop GIS sessions.

Desktop pays the bills for ESRI, we all know that.
10 Rob // Jan 25, 2007 at 1:20 pm

What topics related to Desktop do you think should be covered? Feel free to mail me at relkins@esri.com
11 GWBhater // Jan 29, 2007 at 1:36 pm

I find it ridiculous that they are having a contest for developing on software that has virtually no documentation. ESRI needs to spend more time on making the software usable before going on a PR blitz.

Why would you release developer software without documentation? How many people are going to be satisfied with just using the cookie cutter Web Apps?
12 anon // Jan 29, 2007 at 1:44 pm

Of course ESRI says they’ll have other contests, but lets be honest. Why not have them all at the Dev Summit? My dev group will never visit the UC anymore as it is of now value. have the contest for the Dev Summit.

Can’t ESRI multi-task?