# Why the Author Is Moving from the Microsoft Stack to Linux-Based Technologies

DevFeed: [Why the Author Is Moving from the Microsoft Stack to Linux-Based Technologies](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/why-go-programming-22046.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.ardanlabs.com/blog/2013/05/why-go-programming.html>)

Published: 2013-05-31T00:00:00Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [William Kennedy](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/william-kennedy.md>)

Topics: [Programming](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/programming.md>), [Development](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/development.md>), [Databases](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/databases.md>), [MongoDB](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/mongodb.md>), [Ruby on Rails](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ruby-on-rails.md>), [Linux](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/linux.md>)

Tags: [architecture](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/architecture.md>), [ardan-labs](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ardan-labs.md>), [blog](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/blog.md>), [c-plus-plus](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/c-plus-plus.md>), [c-sharp](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/c-sharp.md>), [cost](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/cost.md>), [database](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/database.md>), [development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/development.md>), [devops](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/devops.md>), [go](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/go.md>), [go-programming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/go-programming.md>), [golang](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/golang.md>), [linux](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/linux.md>), [mongodb](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mongodb.md>), [mvc](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/mvc.md>), [net](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/net.md>), [programming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/programming.md>), [ruby](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ruby.md>), [ruby-on-rails](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ruby-on-rails.md>), [win32](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/win32.md>)

## AI overview

The author explains a shift away from the Microsoft stack, citing tooling, SQL Server licensing, and infrastructure costs. They describe Linux-based technologies as cheaper and more efficient, and discuss using MongoDB for databases and Ruby on Rails for web development.

## Source excerpt

For the past 20 years I have been writing server based and application software on the Microsoft stack. First in C/C++ leveraging the Win32 API and then in C# when .Net first was released. Over the past few months I have realized that trying to build scalable code on the Microsoft stack is becoming impossible. Why, Technology and Cost!! Let's start with the licensing. Luckily I was accepted into the Bizspark program. If I didn't have that I would be looking at thousands of dollars to just get access to the tooling I need. Real world applications require a database. If you want to use SQL Server Standard the licensing model is not only convoluted but outrageously expensive once you figure all that out. If I am building something for a client and they need something more than SQL Express I am doing them an injustice. Even using SQL Server in the cloud is no picnic on pricing. Then you have CPU and Memory requirements. I am sorry but trying to run a SQL Server and IIS on anything less than 4 Gig is impossible. Lastly, take this cost for one machine and try to build a scalable architecture around it and your costs are through the roof. I don't think it is an accident that Facebook, Twitter and the like are running on linux based technologies. The linux based technologies are cheaper, faster and require much less metal. You can build larger systems and architectures for fractions of the cost. These are proven technologies that are driving the biggest websites today. I have already moved away from SQL Server to MongoDB. MongoDB has been a real win in terms of development, devops and cost. It has been around since 2009, has a huge community of people supporting it and there are drivers for just about every programming language. In fact, I have been able to do more with MongoDB than I could with SQL Server. Oh yea, no cost !! For web development I am now using Ruby on Rails. This was an easy transition from .Net MVC and I use RubyMine as my IDE. RubyMine is a great tool and