Page 2 — Who Needs It?

Unless your site is a simple, two-page ode to Leo Sayer, it’s safe to say that you could save some serious man- or woman-hours by using ColdFusion. The question is whether the time saved will justify the extra dollars you’ll shell out for the software or for the extra hosting fees your provider will tack onto your bill. Here’s a little Cosmopolitan-style test to help you find out. Try it on your significant other for kicks!

• Do you or your client maintain databases you’d like to see on the Web? Does the rest of the world really need to see this data or are you maybe being just a little delusional in thinking that we can’t live without your massive archive of bootlegged Barry Manilow performances?
• Does your site require frequent updates, as in, say, new products, an events calendar, or a lengthy What’s New section?
• Do you sell stuff on the Web?
• Are you the electronic equivalent of a pack rat? The sort that saves old National Geographics and Enquirers for “future reference”? Do you have lots of cats?
• Do you or your client have lots and lots of text-based documents you need to serve up?
• Do you like to spend hours goofing on the Web instead of designing the site you’re supposed to be working on? Are you doing it right now and justifying it by telling yourself that you’re bettering your skills by reading Webmonkey?
• Are you a boozer?
• Does your site host banner ads?
• Does your site use figures that need computation, such as product totals or inventory numbers?

If you answered “yes” to three or more of the above, then as Cosmo would say, you probably aren’t getting enough sex. But that’s kind of a given in the IT industry, isn’t it? The important thing is that you’re also a prime candidate to become a ColdFusion user. Go ahead and spend the cash.