title: Why do we need RESTful Web Services?
body: <p>I'm going to learn RESTful web services (it's better to say that I'll have to do this because it's a part of CS master degree program). </p>
  
  <p>I've read some info in Wikipedia and I've also read an article about REST at Sun Developer Network and I see that it's not easy technology, there are special frameworks for building RESTful apps, and it's often being compared to SOAP web services and programmer should understand when to use SOAP and when REST could be nice approach.</p>
  
  <p>I remember that several years ago SOAP was very popular (fashionable?) and item 'SOAP' had to be present in every good CV. But in practice it was used very rarely and for achieving very simple purposes.</p>
  
  <p>It seems to me that REST is another 'last word of fashion' (or I can be totally wrong because I haven't ever seen REST in practice).</p>
  
  <p>Can you give me some examples were REST should be used and why we can't do the same without REST (or why we should spend much more time to do the same without REST)?  </p>
  
  <p><strong>UPD</strong>: Unfortunatelly I can't see any concrete arguments which can blow my mind in first comments. Make me think that REST is awesome technology!</p>
  
  <p>I'd like to see answers like this:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>I was developing another complex
    HelloWorld application and we need to 
    transfer lots of / tiny data and I
    proposed REST solution to my workmate:</p>
    
    <p>&ndash; Oh, damn! Jonny, we should
    certainly use REST for implementing
    this app!<br/> &ndash; Yes, Billy, we
    can use REST, but we would better use
    SOAP. Trust me 'cause I know something
    about developing HelloWorld
    applications.<br/> &ndash; But SOAP is
    old-fashioned technology from the last
    century and we can use better
    one.<br/> &ndash; Billy, are you ready
    to spent 3 days for experimenting with
    REST? We can do this with SOAP in 2
    hours..<br/> &ndash; Yes, I'm sure
    that we'll spent even more time to
    achieve the same security/performance/
    /scalability/whatever else with SOAP.
    I'm sure that HelloWorld applications
    should be developed only with REST
    from now.</p>
  </blockquote>