Open source has been a big winner in the recession, given its ability to drive down costs. For those that think the proprietary world can easily follow suit, however, simply by giving away "express" versions of their software, or through developer programs, Optaros consultant Jeff Potts has some advice: "Try again."
Jeff Potts
It's absolutely true that most open-source code gets used and not modified. Few bother to to view the source code.
But for a system integrator like Potts' employer, Optaros, code is critical. Potts is particularly well-suited to call this out, given that prior to Optaros he was a vice president at Hitachi Consulting where he did Documentum and other proprietary software deployments.
While Potts, in his response to a Documentum developer post, lists several reasons that open source is superior to proprietary software for developers, it's ultimately source code availability that underlies them all:
Developers working with closed source ECM vendors can't see the code. It's obvious, I know. For developers that work with open source it is extremely natural to use the CMS [Content Management System] source code when debugging or for reference. You don't even think about it-it's just there and you use it. Imagine the frustration of someone who works with closed source CMS who has to routinely decompile classes to figure out what's going on. That truly sucks. What good is a "Developer Edition" that doesn't come with source code?
Not much. For system integrators, in particular, source code is essential. Proprietary vendors that treat their products like a "black box" that can only be accessed through a magical API are doing their partners, and hence themselves, a disservice.
Disclosure: Optaros is an Alfresco partner, and also works with a range of open-source CMSes, including competitors to Alfresco.
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As Microsoft's Peter Galli recently noted, the open-source Web content management project DotNetNuke has moved to Microsoft's CodePlex, citing CodePlex's "reliable and dependable infrastructure, cleanest user experience, most advanced project administration tools, and highest commitment to future innovation" as its rationale.
This is the first move by a high-profile open-source project to Microsoft's open-source code hosting site. Is it a one-off example of a sell-out, or a harbinger of more movement to Microsoft's open-source site?
It's too soon to tell, but I suspect this move signals the open-source community's gradual thaw when it comes to Microsoft. Microsoft is by no means clear of suspicion, as a recent Boycott Novell post suggests, but its open-source group, at any rate, has welcomed the open-source community with open arms and open minds.
Watch this space. I think we'll see more movement of Microsoft-friendly open-source projects to CodePlex. Given that an increasing number of open-source projects fit this bill, that may well mean CodePlex is the next Google Code, and perhaps an eventual challenger to Sourceforge.
So close, and yet so far away. Scott Guthrie, General Manager within the Microsoft Developer Division, announced on his blog that Microsoft will be releasing the source code for its .NET Framework libraries with the .NET 3.5 and Visual Studio 2008 release in late 2007.
This isn't open source as the Microsoft Reference License which will govern the code release is a "look but don't modify or distribute" license. Still, baby steps for Microsoft. Guthrie writes:
One of the things my team has been working to enable has been the ability for .NET developers to download and browse the source code of the .NET Framework libraries, and to easily enable debugging support in them.
Today I'm excited to announce that we'll be providing this with the .NET 3.5 and VS 2008 release later this year.
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Tim O'Reilly had a fireside chat (minus the fireside) with Marten Mickos during today's Executive Radar at OSCON. Marten, ever insightful and pithy, didn't disappoint.
Here are a few of the things that caught my attention most in Marten's comments:
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