Microsoft is, in it's current state, far from "doomed". The lock-in effect mentioned will account for their survival for some time, look at businesses still using windows 2000 in large deployment. The other thing to consider is how they have been trying to refocus their direction and corporate girth to target the web, i.e. online advertising, Silverlight and such. how successful that will be remains to be seen.
they obviously undervalue the writers skill. frontend and backend require different skillsets, but the average person has no knowledge of what either one is really worth.
I think the point of the A List Apart article was to get your visitors involved before requiring a full sign up. Show them your app is actual valuable and useful to them before you require any commitment on their part. Once they're engaged a small sign-up form or an activation email is no longer a hassle.
Not sure I agree with that order. I personally know people who have learned SQL before php or other backend language. You make a good point about the other elements in website building. It can be invaluable to have a good designer/user interface expert type on your team. In my experience _most_ hacker types are weaker in those areas, myself included.
