RedDot Lies. Their .NET Release? There ain't no .NET in it.

Explain to me how RedDot’s release of version 7 is a “.Net release”?

1. Only a tiny fraction of RedDot CMS code uses the .Net framework – way less than the 25% that CMS Watch grumbles about.
2. RedDot LiveServer is still a java application.

.net developers can’t work with the RedDot “.net release.” Rather, they have to learn the mysterious, under documented RedDot Query Language.

In contrast, a company like SiteCore provides a complete .net compliant product. Even Ektron – with a price point less than 5% of RedDot CMS can honestly point to the .net code in its .net release. RedDot seems unable to point to anything with honesty.

When RedDot says “The new version of RedDot CMS was developed on the .NET framework” what they mean is “We jammed in a tiny bit of .net code so that our sales people could pretend that we’re not an aging, over-the-hill chunk of software.”

What this RedDot Lie Means

This big lie by RedDot/OpenText has three implications:

1. You can’t find developers to help you with your deployment. Rather than tossing a rock out the window, hitting a .net developer and dragging them back to your office to implement, you need to find one of the almost non-existent service firms trained in the arcane art of RedDot. They charge crazy $$$$ (and why wouldn’t they? – they’ve had to survive the chaos of RedDot and find a way to deliver for their customers)
   
   
2. You can’t extend or integrate RedDot with your existing application. At least, not unless you’re ready to fork out for custom development in RedDot’s proprietary language. Which may or may not change with the next release.
   
   
3. You can’t trust the RedDot/Hummingbird/OpenText corporation. These folks might sleep at night by pretending their lies are just “marketing spin.” But if you buy their product based on this spin, than believe me, you’ll be calling them liars.

I’m not the only one that feels this way. See this from CMSWatch:

"With the 2006 much-ballyhooed Version 7 release, about 25 percent of the back end was migrated to .NET…. Some RedDot partners have been disappointed by the paucity of .NET support, as it makes it harder to insert or reuse other .NET components, and in general, working within older Microsoft technologies is not exactly a career enhancer..."

Bonus Lie

“RedDot works with either SQL or Oracle.” Oracle. Right. Maybe theoretically, with enough time, energy and money. But it’d be cheaper to develop your own CMS from scratch. Check out these comments in RedDot user groups if you think I’m just whining:

I work on a site that uses CMS with an Oracle back end. We have had no end of troubles and many seem to be related to the fact that we don't use SQL server. I was wondering whether there were any other sites out there that are using Oracle and Reddot CMS (http://www.reddotlounge.com/viewtopic.php?t=2)

Oracle is definately more complex I suppose it just annoys me that although the product is supposed to be compatible with Oracle there's almost no one able to support it either due to licencing issues or lack of training. (http://www.reddotlounge.com/viewtopic.php?t=2)