developerWorks : IBM's resource for developers

developerWorks : IBM's resource for developers: Today I read an article about a 1,020-mile supply road that's being
carved out of the ice from the south coast of New Zealand to the
South Pole. The story tells how the workers have to avoid huge crevasse
fields and a snow swamp -- a 180-mile-wide, 6-foot-deep field of
powdery snow. Obstacles like that seem just about impossible to
imagine. I remember thinking the same thing as I read "The Endurance,"
recounting Ernest Shackleton's mind-blowing struggle to get home from
a busted South Pole expedition in the early 1900s.

You might not face life-threatening obstacles with your software
development, but it can sometimes feel like you're having to carve your
way through ice. Just think of developerWorks as a sturdy ice-breaker,
helping cut a path to success. This week, see Brian Thomson's responses
to your questions on WebSphere Commerce, two articles on maximizing
Java performance on AIX, a article on discovering Lotus Team Workplace
customization, and take a look at the next release of
DB2 Universal Database.

On that South Pole highway thing -- I'll certainly never make the trip.
1,020 miles with no picnic area stops? Imagine how much endurance it
would take to put up with that many "Are we there yet?"s from the
back seat.