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The cloud, for instance, may offer simplicity and flexibility, but it provides this in exchange for control and security. Erlang programmers trade some of their freedom for this new model. If your code deals with many isolated users who don't need to interact directly, it's simple to write your code in the Erlang model. But if you need your threads to communicate -- and think you have the chops to make it work -- Erlang makes your life harder.
Start small and find out whether your proposed use of Erlang is on the right side of the trade-off or the wrong one.
Cutting-edge experiment No. 2: The Node.js Web stack
Many enterprise services are judged on how quickly they deliver data. No one wants to keep a potential customer hanging around watching some blank window on a browser. Even fewer people want
to keep their bosses waiting for some crucial report or analysis of the business.
Some cutting-edge tools are designed for speed. Node.js, for instance, is popular because it runs very quickly. It can be even faster when paired with one of the newer NoSQL databases, which offer incredibly fast results on saving data. Together, it's possible to build a fast Web infrastructure on a small platform that, as a side effect, also consumes much less electricity. Speed and energy efficiency are often linked.
The speed should be attractive to companies looking to put a priority on responding quickly. Some of the more ephemeral websites never want to disappoint or let a potential user wait very long. Companies with captive clients -- say, banks -- may want to make different decisions.
Node.js is an open source stack built on top of the Chrome V8 JavaScript engine, but most people will begin with a prebuilt executable from nodejs.org for all of the major platforms. Joyent, the major sponsor, also offers cloud machines with images, including all of the necessary libraries and tools.
Many developers head straight for Web frameworks like Tower, Geddy, or Railway, each of which simplifies the work of building a basic, data-driven website.
The trouble with Node.js is not with performance, but with the weight put on the programmer's shoulders. Smarter programmers need to be more careful because the entire package runs in one process. If one user tosses a curve ball that hits a bug in your code, the entire Web server could lock up. Good programmers and extensive testing can avoid this, but no one is perfect all of the time. It is a polar opposite of Erlang because it offers few limits to keep programs from going awry.
The Node.js-NoSQL combination exposes a driving force for today's cutting edge: a focus on supporting the explosion of interest in social networks. If you're thinking of experimenting, find a place where you can afford to be fast but not careful. If your data needs careful curating, you might want to avoid these dangers.
Cutting-edge experiment No. 3: HTML5 Web and mobile apps
The new broom sweeps clean, the old saying goes, and so do new tools. The latest languages and software stacks that are built from scratch are not larded up with multiple revisions and deprecated
APIs. The syntax and format are simple and uncluttered.