Web shops go to hell!

If you need it done right, do it yourself. Everybody is familiar with this expression. I've used a lot of web application and most of the time I keep thinking I can do a better job. The software may facilitate the features you want, but they way to get there is a pain in the ass.
In the pre iPhone era there was Windows Mobile and Symbian. Both with a rich feature set and a there was a way to develop for these platforms. But in no way is there any decent integration of those features. Then the iPhone came along and it changed the way mobile developers look at these devices and the integration of the applications. Clearly Apple's philosophy: "If you need it done right, do it yourself".

Now back to my personal hell. I've implemented Magento and now I'm trying to install OsCommerce. Both are free web shop software and at first sight they both have rich feature set. The problem with both packages is that they are pain in the ass. Magento is huge and has some weird (flexible?) database schema that makes it sluggish (even with cache enabled). Some modules have usability fails. Besides that you cannot use it when you use your localhost (http://localhost/magento/ for example). It needs something like this http://blaat.tld/ to use it. What kind of shit is that?

Today I had the most pleasant experience with OsCommerce. NOT! I've downloaded it. Moved it to my local webserver location. Typed http://localhost/oscommerce/catalog/install to install. It shows a nice page with installation/upgrade instructions. I want to install. Pressed install. Step 2, it says "please customize bla bla bla". I press continue and wait… at first I thought I didn't hit the button right. Tried it again… nothing and again… nothing. No message of whatsoever. Also here, what kind of shit is this?

If your product is mature enough like OsCommerce (v2.2) this shouldn't be an issue.

These experiences make me want to develop a web shop myself. I've done a great job at mwah.nl. But it isn't as feature rich as Magento and OsCommerce. Hope this will come in time.

Frustrated developer is signing out…