Hey ColdFusion Pros, Why Use It?

Java, Ruby, ASP.NET, PHP, Python, these languages all get the buzz when it comes to online application development. I am curious about why ColdFusion even matters today.

There are quite a few smart, dynamic people working with ColdFusion. Ben Forta, Ray Camden, and Hal Helms come to mind, considering their authoring credits in the ColdFusion book arena.

What makes developers choose ColdFusion over other web development options?

PHP creator Rasmus Lerdorf moved to Yahoo. Python creator Guido van Rossum ended up at Google. Sun Microsystems hired both of the JRuby developers to work for the company full time.

We don’t hear that kind of news about ColdFusion developer types. Why is that?

Whenever TechCrunch features the latest startup to catch the attention of its writers, the underlying application always seems to be built on the O’Reilly-dubbed LAMP stack.

Are ColdFusion developers primarily working on legacy applications these days? That may sound odd, but if new sites aren’t launching on the ColdFusion platform, then the demand for its programmers has to be from companies with existing web applications.

Is this really the case?

When I looked at ColdFusion jobs in February 2006 based on the job search at SimplyHired, and later at Indeed, the opportunities for ColdFusion programmers just weren’t there. Other than one blogger, no one else challenged this.

So here is the challenge for you, ColdFusion professional that you are. Tell me why ColdFusion matters. As it stands today I’m just not convinced. If I’m wrong I’d like to know that.

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