Are we that old?

In the beginning was the data and the data was good. All we cared about was getting the database populated and getting our queries to run fast.

Then came Objects. And they too seemed good, but they really just wrapped our data and presented in an easy to use fashion. The data was still there.

Then came Components. They wrapped up our objects and were even easier to use. But, still at the bottom was the data.

Then came Services. They abstracted away the Components. But the data remained.

So developers are pushed to build Domain Object Models and Components and Services all to do what? Make it easier to develop against? Use some cool new toys?

Back in the VB6 days, we grabbed a connection, pulled a RecordSet, pushed on a form then updated as needed.
These days were supposed to do what? Oh, the same thing you say, just after we develop the DOM, the components and the services?

We're so old now that we've come full circle. Users don't really care about DOMs and Components and Services. They care about:
1) How the app looks
2) How fast you can deliver
3) How fast the app runs
4) It's right

And in that order! We've gotten lost in the hype. As developers, we've lost our way. The real truth is in this list. And that should translate to how we develop software. Technology will change, UI's will change, OS's will change, but the data will always be there. That's were the real value is.
Somehow we must get back to the basics of building applications, not software development.

We have to get back to delivering something that meets our client's needs.