"... and now you’re a sharecropper on the Google plantation."

I don't understand all the hate on Google about GAE. This is not some new and evil business model. This is just a turn-key system.<p>Google has been very up front with what it expects and what it will provide; I don't think there has been any shadiness on their part.

Actually because Google is an OpenId provider, I believe with just a bit of work you can export the application out of the GAE by adding support for OpenId

<i>"... You’re not a sharecropper if you’re building around the Apache webserver and the increasingly-large suite of associated software. Nobody owns it, and it runs on anything ..."</i> ~ <a href="http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2003/07/12/WebsThePlace" rel="nofollow">http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2003/07/12/WebsThePla...</a><p>Tims right and he's wrong at the same time. What google has done is quite interesting. By commoditising the application server software, &#38; reducing the cost, it means more Startups can quickly move to the market. There is nothing (yet) that I can see that will stop you moving your code &#38; site if you have to later on. A big cost in time &#38; money is setting up your own servers. You can do self hosting but do you have to if it is a time/complexity cost?<p>The only people who are really squealing are the hardware/software vendors (Tim works for Sun) and ISP's who have effectively taken a pay cut.

Is this seriously a problem? No programmer is forced to use GAE, and if it seems like you won't do well with it, don't use it.<p>Tempest in a teapot, indeed.

If we're going to rag on Damien for his "lisp as blub" linkbait, I think this merits the same appellation as well...

This article is weak, it throws out a huge degrading word(s) such as "Sharecropper" and "Plantation".<p>- I don't see any disadvantage of using Google's built in accounts..and in no way do you have to;I'm tired of all the loud babies in the room!