I was on a call with a former colleague discussing a specific technology and how it applied to his situation. It was good to catch up again with him and give some useful advice. I fielded several questions about the flexibility, complexity and fitness.

During the call, I had a thought that really stuck with me:

We (read: the world) are currently in the fifth version of the Microsoft .Net Framework, we have more AJAX libraries than you can shake a stick at, SQL Server 2008 is launching soon, and I still haven’t finished pulling tricks out of SQL Server 2005. There’s not much outside of our reach. We can customize nearly anything and change most behaviors to suite your taste. I can override methods, inject JavaScript, and execute complex database activities in just a few LINQ methods.

But… should he do this to the platform? The word “could” and “should” really stood out for me.

The answer to his specific question was a resounding yes. It was absolutely possible to do brand those pages. I was positive that my former colleague’s team could build a custom external application to manipulate the database and perform the same types of functions that come with the default installation of the system; albeit through their own unique user interface.

In this call, I was asked about completely customizing the administrative pages. My first instinct was to identify which way the cost/benefit ratio tipped.

1. Could the customer use the money elsewhere and yield more benefit?
2. Does this preclude the platform from future upgrades because of egregious customizations?
3. How many people would be subjected to these administrative pages?
4. How often are they used?
5. Does he want to support this code? One reason to buy a platform leverages on-going support and bug fixes; this path has the potential to give away that important strategic advantage.

Once a technology is chosen (no small endeavor), the best approach is to deeply understand what a platform does well and make damn sure you’re embracing it. Don’t spend valuable time fighting technology in lieu of focusing on your business. If you’re not leveraging what the platform does best, you’ve got a good sign that you’re off course or you’ve chosen the wrong platform. Go figure out which one it is and fix it – fast!