Re: [SLUG] considering open sourcing my app

From: Russell Hires (rhires@earthlink.net)
Date: Thu May 15 2003 - 00:01:36 EDT


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Actually, I'm thinking that some of your ideas are great as far as ease of use
is concerned. Perhaps you could contribute to some other CMS project? In this
case, my prejudice (ahem!) preference would Plone (plone.org), which is a
great web-app/ CMS system that has all kinds of nifty features, but is also
at version 1.0.

If you end up GPL'ing the app, you have the alternate problem of supporting a
user base, especially if you advertise a "free" "easy-to-use" application.
People in the plone community do occasionaly contribute code, but a lot of
times, they contribute problems with no solution that they can offer (I'm
guilty of that), don't read the docs, etc...People will want support without
contribution back.

The GPL is not a panacea. But it's the best we've got. :-)

Russell

On Wednesday 14 May 2003 22:02 pm, Paul M Foster wrote:
> On Wed, May 14, 2003 at 08:48:06AM -0400, Russ Wright wrote:
> > Hi All
> >
> > After a very pleasant chat with Robin Miller I've been considering
> > opening the source code for my simple content management tool under the
> > GPL. You can see it at www.webruss.net
> >
> > I'd like to ask my fellow developers, about their experiences in opening
> > their source code and the results thereof.
> >
> > Also, as a developer, would you really send me any updates and changes
> > you made?
>
> Sure. Why wouldn't I? Why should I keep my Incredibly Brilliant
> Patch(tm) to myself? ;-}
>
> > I guess I'm concerned that someone will steal it and make it into their
> > own product and start selling it.
>
> Possible, but there isn't much advantage to that, if you're using the
> GPL. Someone can sell the product (patched version, even), but they have
> to include source.
>
> Something else to allay your concerns: There are other content
> management systems out there, and I don't know of any hijacking problems
> with them. So I doubt you'd have any either.
>
> Paul

- --
Linux -- the OS for the Renaissance Man
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.0.6 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: For info see http://www.gnupg.org

iD8DBQE+wxEhAqKGrvVshJQRAnVSAJ4lM/2gjqzx4A37ADTU+ckRsJ/QWwCfbsgS
xKrUhH9x5ph1HzJOT6G5jyU=
=xqJN
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.3 : Fri Aug 01 2014 - 19:53:39 EDT