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OpenID for PostNuke   (News)

If you haven't read that yet and is interested in OpenID then please read it here - it will explain the whole OpenID background.

For those of you that haven't heard about OpenID yet, here is the very short explanation: OpenID is a relatively new web-technology for managing your online identity. It's primary purpose is to facilitate Single Sign On across independent websites. This means you can create yourself an OpenID identity and use that for login in to different websites without having to retype your password over and over again.

When I wrote the last article I promissed to deliver an OpenID implementation for PostNuke, and, well, here it is! You can now download OpenID from the NOC OpenID project page.

By installing this module you enable your users to:


Register an OpenID with their PostNuke account and login with this OpenID. The OpenID manager page can be found in the user account panel (Profile).

Create an account on your website using OpenID's registration process.


The OpenID module requires PostNuke version .8 from SVN (april 15th) - and probably also PHP 5.x since a required extension "domxml" is not delivered with PHP 4.x.

So don't hesitate - get your website OpenID enabled today and save yourself (and your customers) the hazzle of managing multiple user accounts.

Intra-web usage
You can use OpenID for Single Sign On between closed "intra-webs". For this
you must have a trusted OpenID Identity Provider (IP) - either your own or an
external one. Then you add a filter on the OpenID admin pages - this filter
should allow access from your trusted IP and deny access from any other
provider. In this way only users from your trusted IP will be allowed to access
your website.

Read more

You can find lots of information about OpenID around the web. The most obvious place to start is of course openid.net. But at openidbook.com you can get a free copy of the 200+ pages OpenID book from Rafeeq Ur Rehman. This should satisfy even the most curious people

Enjoy, Jørn Wildt

Generated on April 16, 2008.

MediaAttach RC 1 released   (News)

Functional features

With the display and delete hooks file uploads become possible in all hook-capable modules.
Many different file types are supported (images, music, videos, archives, documents, ...)
The most formats can be displayed embedded.
Enhanced file information like for example ID3 tags are read and cached with pnRender.
Also emedding external videos (e.g. YouTube, Google or Dailymotion) is possible.
Users can send files to themselves in mails.


Security

Files can be stored outside the web root, which is advisable absolutely.
If this is not possible, a .htaccess file can be created automatically for protecting direct access.
Therefore all access is handled by module functions and permissions.
A quota support cares for bounded storage limits.


Integration

Users can manage their own files in the profile.
With a Scribite plugin for Xinha media can be inserted in the editor easily.
A support for needles in the MultiHook also provides possibilities to include files in other content.
A Guppy plugin for Pagesetter is enclosed as well to be able to define MediaAttach fields.
Also the Content module is being supported by a flexible plugin.
More profound integration possibilities for special modules exist with create and update hooks.


Migration

An import from the file system is possible.
Moreover import options for Downloads 2, Mediashare, PhotoGallery and pnUpper are ready.


Comfort

Direct support for Categories.
Images can be scaled down.
Space-saving multi uploader if JavaScript is available.
Thumbnails can be cut out individually if desired.
The new search functionality is being supported.
The creation of bit torrents for files is possible.
Comprehensive PDF manual.


MediaAttach can be used as easy as every other display hook module (for example EZComments). But if one engages in it, he quickly perceives that the strengths of this module are it's flexibility and it's adaptability. It not only unifies file management and media integration, but can also be used as a gallery for example. Different annexed template sets illustrate several possible applications.
Also interesting is that one can activate MediaAttach also for MediaAttach itself which leads amongst others to the possibility to attach media to other media items.
The module offers concluding dozens possibilities which can all be used, but may not. For this reason it is excellently suited for being employed in project-specific areas and is furthermore in line with our framework idea why it is going to constitute an enrichment certainly.

Links

Download
Bugtracker
Patches
Feature Requests


Have fun with testing and giving feedback :)

Generated on March 7, 2008.

Speak Up: Take the PostNuke User Survey   (News)

should only take a few minutes to fill out the survey and the results will be published for everyone to review once the survey is closed.

Again, thank you in advance for your survey participation and feedback. Please click the link below to begin the survey it's appreciated and your answers are anonymous.

Take the Survey

Generated on April 26, 2005.

Interview: Sebastian Schürmann   (News)

What module(s) are you working on?

pnCommerce - online shop
pnunit/"Icarus Syndrome" - unit tester
CalZone Calendar
pnGalaxia - workflow engine (new for fall/winter)

Where do you live?

Munich, Germany - The world capital of beer.

What is your real-life job?

What is the real-life? I took the red pill and I entered the wrong door. No seriously, I make my money with the development of websites and dynamic web apps. together with Klaus Lamberty from mediagourmet.de. Nothing very uncommon ;-)

Tell me about your postnuke "career".

A 24 hrs deadline for evaluation & implementation of a website and Postnuke could did it; this was Spring 2002. The Rest is History until now, a good history as far as i can see.

I prefer it because it worked that day and it still does. Its documented ;-) Now were using it for most customer projects.

When did you start working on your own module?

Spring 2002, developing of a mass customization application for http://www.eckerl.de to make website customer able to configure individual sunblinds. The interesting thing is that pncommerce takes a direction where such a effort can be integrated in the shop.

What is your development like? Do other people help you? How do you work together? How big is the impact of the community on your development?

Depends, some things are underdeveloped ideas, others like pncommerce are more real modules.

pncommerce (Onlineshop)
To take pncommerce as a example its just the direct combination of contract work and OS development. And i see my self here in the position to help people a bit instead of people helping me. So my position in the quality assurance is a nice choice The unit tester is a direct result of this work and will be used soon. more infos see the pncommerce interview from the pncommerce team

CalZone: (Calendar)
I was unsatisfied with PostCalendar beginning of this year and i started using the CalZone module . I found the authors site Closed and got the files in the end from a Italian webpage (thanks so far). I left it unpublished because there seems to be noone interested. Additionally I don't see much sense in costing people more time because they have to test 2 or 3 Calendars to find the one with less bugs. Through the fact that we already refactored it for Smarty it was a nice learning by doing example, but the point that PostCalendar has most of my features (but better) keeps me away from releasing that code.

Sebastian told me that CalZone is not really ready for release, but that everyone who needs it could get it via email. It can be see at www.keller-club.info

pnUnit: (unit Testing)
Just One year Ago i heard the first time of extreme programming and test first development. The chance to get this technique into postnuke was fascinating and seemed to be a chance to reduce debugging times. The nice module API design from postnuke seemed to fit into that concept and i took a first try with PHPUnit from the pear repository.

A second try (called "The Icarus Syndrome") is close to be finished and published, now using the simpletest classes and a selfmade pnAPIwrapper object. The work which is still left is just to write a bunch of tests for the postnuke core distribution, so that a practical approach can be taken. Additionally I am using just a subset of the functions av. because my own knowledge is limited here. But test first design is addictive.

pnGalaxia (Workflow Engine)
As more I started hacking modules the topic workflow got into the spotlight of requirements. The WFMC documents describing a workflow-engine gave me a direction to think, the implementation into tikiwiki Groupware as Galaxia Workflowengine is the source of code. Its still aanalytical work, but with the deeper look into smarty which is used by tikiwiki to, makes a integration possible. One person joined me here. I think when the fall & winter will bring more results than screenshots ;). The Galaxia concept fits into postnuke which has all needed elements, and waits to be ported. Anybody who likes to help is welcome here. As soon as a working candidate can be presented it can be used by the Postnuke Team for evaluation.

The other (dark?) side:
I am using Postnuke for most customer Projects (we all must eat) but I try to publish the small and bigger working results of my daily jobs. The goal is a double usage of the work.
The Project complexity grows steady, so i am happy to do this projects with a group of people.

What is the biggest difficulty in your development? And why? Is it a Postnuke inherent problem?

My Own Bugs. Nothing is as unlimited as my own st.... G***: has nothing tondo with pn.

Missing Smarty implementation.
Really we have no direction (@pncommerce) what will be implemented how and why into postnuke. As I have seen in the pncommerce developer meeting. I think a simplification of the the application design could be achieved with Smarty. But as more people experiment with this technique, as more different implementations are done.

Missing exceptions.
An important way to control the program flow. But i don't feel that registering a session var is a good way to cope with this problems. Finish the announced pn API Functions, please ASAP ;)

Project external Communication & Guidance
Postnuke is on the border to a next level with .8. Much things could be done. But if Postnuke expects people to invest more time in more serious projects, id request more guidance. Timelines would be one thing id appreciate very much. Even the Xanthia port is undercommunicated. I know that management is a bad word in OS Projects: but 120 people in the
project need more guidance and people who do communications for them. The criticism on personalities helps the product in no way. We all must understand that. ;)


What features should the Postnuke .8 core have to simplify your work?

1. Exceptions, again
2. Postnuke wrapper Object for easier integration of OO Frameworks

Which route will Postnuke in your opinion go in the future?

I don't know, I'll follow the path as long as Postnuke isn't a limitation to my work. The way to a "Product" with a promoted name could be a good way.


Anything else you always wanted to say about Postnuke/your module?

1. Where is the Postnuke Europe developer meeting ?
2. Work together (!!!) please, accept that other peoples are eventually have other cultures because they simply live in other timezones and parts of the world. Integrate & communicate ! ;)
3. Love and Light ;-)

Generated on September 12, 2003.

PostNuke: Changing the Color for Hotlinks   (News)

folder. In the theme/ folder there was a file named style.css. This was the file that held the properties of the link colors.

I opened up the program "The GIMP" - a free image manipulation program that comes with most major Linux distributions and used it to find a new color. I looked up the hex value for the new dark blue color in the format #XXXXXX where the X's are hexadecimal numbers and substituted it.

I had a hunch that all of the css files in each of the subsites would be identical to the one that was used for the home page, but just to make sure I used the unix 'diff' command to check to see if they were all of the same. They were, which made my life easier since I could write a simple shell script to do the propagation of the files. I ssh'ed back into the server and created my new script in the home directory, like this:

vi propagate_script.sh

This brings up a new file named 'propagate_script.sh' in the vi editor. I pressed 'i' to enter insert mode, and typed:

cp /var/www/html/themes/Pixel-Rave-02/style/style.css /var/www/html/subsite1/themes/Pixel-Rave-02/style/style.css

cp /var/www/html/themes/Pixel-Rave-02/style/style.css /var/www/html/subsite2/themes/Pixel-Rave-02/style/style.css

and so on for all of the subsites (using copy and paste). I closed vi by pressing Escape, and then typing ":wq" to write out the file to the disk and quit. I made the script executable with the command:

chmod 700 propagate_script.sh

Then I opened up the style.css file that governed the home page with:

vi /var/www/html/themes/Pixel-Rave-02/style/style.css

I put in the new text color value (#xxxxxx format) in the 'A:link' line after the COLOR: parameter. I also made alterations to the 'A:active' 'A:visited' and 'A:hover' lines. I changed the 'TEXT-DECORATION: none;' parameter to 'TEXT-DECORATION: underline;' on the 'A:hover' line to make the links underlined when the cursor moves over it. Originally it was:

A:hover { FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; COLOR: #1E90FF; FONT-SIZE : 11px; TEXT_DECORATION: none; BACKGROUND: none; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold;}

and I changed it to:

A:hover { FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; COLOR: #1E90FF; FONT-SIZE : 11px; TEXT_DECORATION: underline; BACKGROUND: none; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold;}

You can see what change I made in bold. To change the color you change the value (in this example #1E90FF - a light blue) after the "COLOR:" parameter, use "font-weight:" to make the text bold, and so forth. Next, I made sure that I was in the correct directory and typed:

sh ./propagate_script.sh

to run my script. It propagated all of the changes to all of the subsites. I manually checked to make sure that it worked as desired, and it had. The link color changes were complete.

Generated on July 22, 2003.

Remembering Greg Allan aka adam_baum: PostNuke Co-Founder and Core Developer. One year Later...   (News)

For me, a simple user of PostNuke software, the day of his funeral changed my life.

Greg's death also changed the lives of his many -- both online and offline -- best friends; the lives of his family; as well as the entire PostNuke Development team and ultimately the direction of the PostNuke Content Management System as we know it today . . .

All Official PostNuke development stopped for one week. While the world was following the world cup of soccer being played in Japan and Korea, PostNukers the world over felt as if we had just lost a good friend . . .

We all grieved in our own way.

Vanessa, PostNuke's current Project Manager, created a theme to remember her friend Greg. Quite appropriately, she named it Memories.

30,000 new users have registered and joined postnuke.com since Greg died and you may be one of them....

Many of you never knew the name adam_baum until now. Perhaps you take PostNuke for granted. For you, the following weblinks may bring pause and reflection:

Greg's Homepage
http://www.nDezign.com

PostNuke Mourns Loss of Lead Developer
http://news.postnuke.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1990 (The Official PostNuke Statement about Greg's passing).

Candelight memorial for adam_baum aka Greg Allan
http://www.go4scripts.com/memorials/gregallan

Funeral for Greg Allan aka Adam_Baum
Funeral for Greg Allan aka Adam_Baum (News Article by Florinel).

Photos by Florinel, Taken on the day of Greg's Funeral
http://kitcheneryouth.com/index.php?module=My_eGallery&do=showgall&gid=129&offset=0&orderby=dateD

Greg Allan : March 6, 1973 - June 16, 2002 | Adam_Baum : PostNuke .50 - .714
http://www.GregAllan.TYO!ca

PostGreg
http://www.PostGreg.TYO!ca

Greg's Gallery
http://www.GregsGallery.TYO!ca

Lives Lived - Gregory Robert Wayne Allan
http://GregsGallery.TYO.ca/newmemories/liveslived2?full=1

I spent this past day trying to keep busy, not quite knowing how best to remember Greg nor what to say to his family on this, the first anniversary of his death.

If anyone has memories of adam_baum aka Greg Allan that they just never got around to sharing with their fellow PostNukers... why not post a comment here?

I know his family still visits PostNuke.com periodically and perhaps your words may give them further insight into a part of The Online Greg they hardly knew.

The Greg Allan we all knew as adam_baum.

~ HiMY! ~
Toronto, Ontario.

Footnote:
In memory of the late Greg Allan a.ka. Adam_Baum PostNuke Sweden closed down yesterday, and will be closed with only a honory page showing untill the 20th

I hope you will take a minute, and read the original statement from last year and also read the reflections HïMY wrote during these tragic days

----===~~oOo~~===----//
Bjarne Varoytrand aka Black Skorpio Do to others what you want them to do to you

Generated on June 18, 2003.

PHP Nuke rewrite + Close Source Code   (News)

2) Being the source code closed, it should have a lot (I mean: A LOT) of customization options. I know that many of you touch the code to add or remove stuff, so, with the new code you should be able to modify as much as possible. You could be able to add new php files with your own functions and there will be a manual for all needed variables to do this.
3) Modules, blocks and themes developer will not have any problem at all. All of you, developers, can write your own modules/blocks/themes for it in a similar, but powerful, method as it's now.
4) There will be a Corporative version, with costs money for one site license basis. This version will differ from the free version in the fact that you'll not have the copyright/credits text at the bottom, no "PHP-Nuke" word on the whole code. Not a single reference to it, your customers/visitors will never know what code you're using, and with this corporative version you can develop and sell "commercialy signed" modules. This means that your encoded module will work only with the corp. version, and this last feature will open many doors to commercialy exploit your programmer skills, unfortunately you should have a Zend Encoder license for this.
5) Rewriting the code will give the chance to have a totaly new, secured and stable code and will open doors to have PHP-Nuke running in corporative environments.
6) The incomes will be used for more and more future versions full of new an cool features... better than ever.
7) The distribution method will remain the same: Alphas, Betas and RCs exclusive for Club members and the final version distributed 15 days before it goes public for free.
8) No forks
9) Since the encoded code needs to use Zend Optimizer, the code will run faster.

Of course, not all is pink... there are some contras:

1) Forget the bugs with fixes submissions in news and forums, just bugs reports (with my promise that I'll address all of them)
2) No core modifications allowed (but a highly customizable system instead)
3) The required use of Zend Optimizer (anyway it's free)

I think that this is 9 vs 3... I want that now, knowing this, all of you think about it, evaluate the pros and contras, and give me an objetive feedback.

For me, this step, can represent a unique opportunity to mature this project and pass it to the next level. Always giving it for free, have this in mind. And for one second try to put yourself into my shoes.

Have a nice day and be happy... "

The original article can be read HERE.

Generated on March 26, 2003.

Updates from the Top !   (News)

it's worth, I have never seen a weirder 'campaign' angle than the 'Free PostNuke' buttons that were part of that 'open letter'.

In context to this original situation, I would like to take a line here to extend special thanks to those of other projects, who have posted common sense messages in support - Thanks, Zoom of Envolution, and thanks MikesPub of Xaraya.


I've also noticed that some issues have been raised about potential developments and moves towards a closed development model - this is simply not true, and I can assure you that this won't happen. To those that recall both the genesis of PostNuke, as well as the recent splits into two forks a while back, the openess of the development model was at the core of all of them. We split from php-nuke mainly because of the closed development that it's author advocated. Now, why would we want to replicate that same mistake on here? I believe someone aptly stated "Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it", and while this certainly holds true for many of life's situations, it is nowhere more true than in open source projects.

So, rest assured, PostNuke will always remain *free*, and development will always remain open. That's my pledge.

Now, this doesn't mean that just about ANYONE will and can receive CVS access, and that we can have a wild committ-fest of anyone with a 'net connection. In order to maintain a certain level of sanity, development, and particularly commits to the CVS *must* be done in a controlled, orderly fashion. This means that while I advocate keeping CVS always open for anonymous check-out, and welcome submissions of fixes and patches, we *must* keep the ability to commit to core developers to prevent insanity and chaos (we've had that at one point in the past). We're working out a system that should be able to accomodate most needs. Stay tuned.


We've also had a couple of changes in the management, the absence of both of which will be felt, as PostNuke owes both a tremendous deal. Effective immediately, both Neo and MagicX have left the project to hopefully pursue life outside of the stresses that this project brings with it. Neo and MagicX were responsible for much of the enhancements, infrastructure, and site redesigns that you've witnessed after the Xaraya split, and they masterfully carried the weight of the project on their shoulders during my hiatus. As you also may know, Neo was the mastermind behind the Phoenix Rendering Engine (based on SMARTY). I fully understand the reasons behind the departures (the words 'burned out' come to mind), and while I wish them well, I also want to assure them that any help will always be only an e-mail away, and that both will be welcome back here in a heartbeat.


One of the changes is also that the NOC will not be going away, but it will change servers, and this change is going to happen this weekend. In fact, I plan on doing a minor and major overhaul of the server and infrastructure, adding a bit here, a tweak there.


Lastly, we're also readying a new security fix release, and have several incremental updates to the 0.723/0.724 codebase planned, to tide existing installations over with asked-for enhancements and minor fixes until arrival of 0.8 (née 0.725). Stay tuned for more news on those.


Finally, there will be a couple of follow-up articles, including 'openings' for help with some of the stuff planned for the immediate future. Like I said - Stay Tuned!

-Harry

P.S. Oh yeah, and for those wondering "Where the hell have you been all his time???", let me just give the short of it being "

Generated on March 1, 2003.

Web Logs Emerging   (News)

SEPTEMBER 29 : 2002
Posted by: on Monday, September 30, 2002 - 01:23 AM EST


then i realized what had been told to me before all of this happend.. before the journal came to be... before i dedicated myself to this work.. but only recently has the message become clear.. and it is so papostours.. and i've never even used that word in my writing before.. it is so large.. that it can contain an entire movie.. well it came through a dream to me.. but in sync with the joe satriani new strange beautiful music cd... i tell you there words embedded in those songs... something very odd is going on... well so then as it was quite like a mission impossible senerio.. but undisclosed till now the full context of the notion... but what when we fast... why is this guy going so intirely mad... like noah building the ark... what work is he doing.. taking strange drugs and reporting back his results.. but then control on the fringe.. when i did not have any idea who i was working for.. but that it had something to do with the security of our collective human family.. i've top clerance.. only i'm a chatter box.. i'm a spin artist.. well everything that needs to say.. i say the best way forward.. on every variable of communication i've hit.. even those embarassing things to say.. still the duty to bring them out of the nonverbal unspoken.. proving mature composure in taboo contextual settings.. like not commenting or laughing when someone farts... that was my idea.. just treat it like a natural fuction that it is.. and respect the smell.. go on with the moment like it really wasn't to big of deal... if know one is around waif.. the culturally comfirmed in proper behavior by adam corrolla.. who surely broadens the horizon of politically correct in his own terms.. specifically though i was told directly by central intelligence by media spy wave broadcast that this work needed to be done.. that certain biochemicals had been released into the public domain... that every possible solution was being sought to overcome and survive this attack... that ever dietary tactic that i could foster toward strenghtening the immune system of our species was absolutly nesseccary... what happens when one fast is in pharmonic fequency tonation.. that has a direct effect on every organism on the entire planet... patterning deep at the atomic level.. the immune system of the planet... faced with every weakness culturally and socially presented... opening up to the healing potential of the body is an act of self defense... at the end of this dream... really needed contact... i could find nobody anyplace who was in a position to accomidate me... i was in a fast food resturant... this girl sitting behind me so beautiful in her smile as i asked her if she would give me a kiss and all my obsessive need and hunger for love vanished as i looked into her smiling face... she responded with a very inceptious smooch.. a huge man athletically built with big rings sat down at the table next to her and handed over her food... i was intimidated and said... looking to him in the eyes... o' i'm really meaning no offense... no harm.. i so much needed comfort... he smiled.. and said.. you don't want to get queer about it do you? .... and playfully in a sarcastic way punching me lightly on the arm.... laughed.. slightly backed away in my seat as i was in a booth turned towards there backs leaning over.. then he introduced me... this is my sister.. do you like her? i said she is very lovely... you should get to know her... he said biting into his food... i noticed her pure beauty even more so and as i looked at her became aware a sacrade anceint people.. presence was a blessing... my body began to shake... i looked back over to the man who was her brother.... looking into the gold on fingers that were not there but in my mind... suddenly i felt this was all orchestrated by god.. my attention was becoming cerebral as i thought about this woman who was nothing but love.. the voice in my head reminding me.. a view of all histiory swept my vision... i felt her hand was more than in mine.. i heard a man speaking in a very plain monotone way.. serious like a scientist but a millitary fact based briefing type..... a biological weapon has been released into the human stream... its purpouse is to destroy us... if we do not change in responce.. in a time spoken to the millionth of a second i was told... the moment it would be to late... the thing is i don't know when i was told only now understanding congnitively.... but that when i woke up near tears.. that the last song you saved my life on this cd had ended.. the voice faded through the last note... it felt good... really good to feel that in some way my life could has such purpose

Note: I'VE BEEN LAYING IN THE GRASS AND CLIMBING THE MAPLE TREE!!!

Generated on October 3, 2002.

Postnuke in the Real World!   (News)

Here's what I have observed. Agree or disagree as you wish. Please don't flame me (I'm human too!).

0) There is a level or resentment/hostility within the O/S community towards organisations which are interested in 'commercialising' the purity of O/S.

1) Certain Open Source (O/S) projects are outstanding in the level of commitment and contribution and development from a wide range of parties (amateurs, hobbyists, enthusiasts, commercial interests, community groups etc.). PN is certainly a remarkable 'upgrade' from the closed PHP-Nuke circuit, has suceeded in delivering a teriffic rewrite and code cleanup, great new features and a new version every 12 weeks or so with lots of improvements - it is going places and in the right direction.

2) There is not widespread adoption or support of Open Source products in a corporate/commercial environment. To a substantial extent there is ignorance of the existance of quality software other than through traditional vendors of proprietary solutions. How do you submit a Tender Document or RFP to the Open Source community?

3) The GPL's protection of 'without warranty' is appropriate to enable the development and use of O/S applications [in the public domain] while ensuring that there are no warranties expresssed or implied on the part of the authors. WYSIWYG! This is not an acceptable level of 'support' for a business critical application and is what scares most corporates away from even investigating the O/S route. In reality there is not much better 'protection' afforded by proprietary vendors/licenses but they are used to those and do not look as deeply as they should. At the end of the day they think, regardless of the legal protection of a license, "I paid the guy to do X, he didn't, get him in and whip his ass". As a paying consumer you have independent rights to protect your investment - the absense of contract or payment means you take what you get and shut up if you are not happy.

4) Because it is 'public' and 'open to anybody' to adopt/present Open Source solutions and because the 'barriers to entry' are so low (free) - anybody can set up shop and 'sell' O/S products and support. This is fine, but the lack of viable commercial model (i.e. revenue stream) on the part of many sole-traders/consultants is not reassuring the commercial world as to the practicality of considering O/S - this is the so-called 'Geek Factor'. The 'Geek Factor' is the most difficult marketing message for commercial proponents of O/S to counteract. Wear a wolly jumper, work from home, grow a beard, write O/S, sell mugs and caps on your website so that you can buy pizza and beer. Suits like to deal with other suits, in person, eye-to-eye.

5) No large corporate would consider adopting an Open Source product unless (a) there was a team [not an individual] of developers/support people in house with the skills OR (b) there was an external software house with the skills and a team [not an individual].

6) Free software is only value for money in the up-front licensing sense. The "cost of ownership" models (service, maintenance, adaptation) which apply to proprietary software still are the same if a corporation is adopting an Open Source product to use.

What we (proponents of O/S philosophy) need to make clear is that ...

=================

1) We are going to make money selling and supporting this. If we don't make money we won't be in business for long and the support will cease. Problem. The profit motive is a compelling case.

2) We have a team of developers/support personnel. The one-man-band is not viable for 'critical' applications. Most corporates regard the website as critical and also any services which are web-based. You have to be able to provide a credible SLA (service level agreement) and have the capacity and depth to meet the commitments.

3) There is no "Mickey Mouse" pass-off of responsibility (as defined in the GPL). In the GPL you take the software 'without warranty' etc.. A business will need better than that if it is to depend on the applications. This is the most essential clause in the GPL (to protect an author from any form of liability or responsibility). I know that most 'proprietary' product License Agreements actually make the same pass-off of liability/responsibility but they are not as blatant and people/organisations feel that there is some leverage with a vendor who is getting paid for software to ensure that it meets the documented functionality.

4) They are going either (a) to save money or (b) get better systems/service i.e. value by going down the proposed O/S route. The initial 'savings' are only valid if the total cost of ownership (TCO) shows savings.

5) No medium-large company will want to adopt a system if it contains a single critical point of failure. While the co-operative model may be 'nice' it breaks down if I can't sue a vendor of substance if they mess up. This is why it is difficult, even with small companies, to be successful at outsourcing software development or support if you are a 1-man-band. The exception is where there are clearly defined projects which can be outsourced and where there is the in-house team to take over at completion/delivery.

6) There are other benefits to O/S software which are somewhat more intangible but of value - especially the availability of the source code so that the traditional 'golden handcuffs' syndrome with proprietary vendors is not a factor.

Conclusion:
What is really boils down to, I believe, is that the real assessment of whether a solution is a GOOD SOLUTION is more dependant on the party proposing than the software itself. I (personally) sold accounting systems for years with lots of happy clients. Other resellers of the same product had lots of unhappy clients. Same product, different service, different customer experience.

My favourite line.. "Good, quick and cheap; which 2 do you want?". Quality, Responsivness and Cost are intrinsically linked in the real world.

Here's what we (Experience IT) would like to achieve:-

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1) To be able to tap into the expertise in the general community with parties who do not wish to have 'customers' only projects that pay fairly from time to time.
2) Be able to call on some of the core development team (email or otherwise) for that special level of support (from time to time) as might be required (and pay for the service).
3) Be able to work with specialists in areas (e.g. theme designers/graphics artists) who would be prepared to accept a brief and agree a fair price for the work.
4) Have a means to 'give-back' either through donation, revenue share, code share, hosting or other tangible form of support to the community which created such wonderful products.

Generated on February 14, 2002.

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