Quick summary of Michael Braude's blog (the post that article is rebutting): web developers just write HTML/CSS all day, I know nothing about web development on a production scale. I have made the smug assumption that a web startup does about the same thing as Joe's Home Page hosted by Tripod.

I actually take great offense to the original blog post that is referenced. I work at the other big company across the lake from MS (hint: it sells stuff online), and I dare say the work that I've done here is miles more advanced and demanding than anything I've ever done for a desktop app.

And it certainly includes a deep comprehension of compilers, concurrency (oh boy do I ever), inheritance, etc etc.

This guy is just entirely clueless about what it takes to build a production website. His notion of web development is about as accurate as me claiming desktop apps are just drag-dropping controls onto a form in VB.