I can sense the usual "opensource vs proprietary" conversation getting
out of control...
But...one of the (many) problems with opensource is that you (as
institution) lose control of blameability if you just chuck this into
the so-called "community". Having a single PHP developer is one thing
but in my experience it helps to have a company to call when the thing
breaks. Which it will.
Second (and I really am fanning the fires here), don't go assuming that
OS projects are going to be cheaper. Or, for that matter, "open". The
codebase that you have to get developed is usually as closed as it gets,
often non-documented, and - again, in my experience - as expensive /
more expensive than a bespoke solution.
I'll say no more.
Mike
Mike Ellis
Professional Services Group
Eduserv
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-----Original Message-----
From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Cristiano Bianchi | Keepthinking
Sent: 17 July 2008 11:03
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: CMS specifications
Jeremy,
are you sure are legally entitled to do that? The fact that the source
is 'open', i.e. visible and changeable, typical of web most
technologies, does not automatically mean you 'own' it and can freely
change it. In most case you own a license for the software as it is -
I think.
Moreover, if you change it, you may loose the ability to benefit from
future upgrade of the software - let alone warranty issues - as you
are disconnecting and branching off your development from the main
stream.
This may not be an issue with the (now defunct?) MS CMS, but for
products which are alive and being updated, would you not incur in
more issues in terms of sustainability than the ones that you solve?
With an OS project, if you're interested in developing, you could join
the community and get your own updates into the main source code.
Thanks,
Cristiano
On 17 Jul 2008, at 10:43, Ottevanger, Jeremy wrote:
> Can I just point out that having the ability to change (at least a
> large
> part of) the code-base is not limited to "open source" solutions? For
> example, whilst I'm not recommending it, the ageing Microsoft CMS we
> use
> is built on .Net and if you can programme that then there's little you
> can't do. You might not *want* to do certain things because they'd be
> too complex, although I've not hit that barrier yet - but that could
> at
> least in theory apply to open source too - there could be a
> prohibitive
> learning curve even if it's all possible in principle. The only thing
> I've wanted to do that I've not been able to is rewrite the calendar
> control, but with I think that too may be possible with newer versions
> of .Net (which they are supposedly opening the code base for).
>
> I guess my point is that Open Source is not the only way to get open
> source i.e. source code you can fix and extend yourself. One other
> thing
> is that, whilst it's true of Joomla and Drupal, it would be false to
> assume that because a CMS is built using a *language* that is OS, the
> CMS is OS - or vice versa.
>
> OK, carry on.
>
> Jeremy
>
>
>
> Jeremy Ottevanger
> Web Developer, Museum Systems Team
> Museum of London Group
> 46 Eagle Wharf Road
> London. N1 7ED
> Tel: 020 7410 2207
> Fax: 020 7600 1058
> Email: [log in to unmask]
> www.museumoflondon.org.uk
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>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Michael Guthrie
> Sent: 17 July 2008 09:24
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [MCG] CMS specifications
>
> Or Joomla!, by far the best PHP CMS ;-)
> We use it for the www.seayourhistory.org.uk And it has been a great
> solution.
>
> www.joomla.org and now it is 1.5 version it is very good indeed.
>
> For a DAMS we use www.dspace.org
> For an image gallery we use http://gallery.menalto.com integrated into
> Joomla
>
> As many have said here, open source solutions can be very advantageous
> in not being locked into a vendor or company to make any
> customisations
> or changes to the code base. Much easier to find a single PHP
> developer
> than trying to chase a company to change their code and add
> functionality.
>
> Michael
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Museums Computer Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
> Of J
> Martin
> Sent: 16 July 2008 21:42
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: CMS specifications
>
> Hi,
>
> Seconding Christiano, play with www.opensourcecms.com and email me
> after
> you've chosen Drupal (by far the best of the PHP CMS) or Lenya (by far
> the best of the Java CMS) ;-)
>
> Regards,
>
> James
>
> On Wed, 16 Jul 2008, James Morley wrote:
>
>> Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:36:26 +0100
>> From: James Morley <[log in to unmask]>
>> Reply-To: Museums Computer Group <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: [MCG] CMS specifications
>>
>> Without wishing to start a whole debate, and most certainly not
> soliciting phone calls from vendors (!), does anyone have any
> recommendations as to an up to date source of fairly high level,
> generic
> CMS specifications / requirements analysis?
>>
>> Thanks, James
>>
>>
>>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> James Morley [log in to unmask]
>> Website Manager Tel. +44 (0)20 8332 5759
>> Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew www.kew.org
>>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> -
>>
>>
>>
>>
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> --
>
> Your object is to save the world, while still leading a pleasant life.
>
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>
> http://toolbar.netcraft.com/site_report?url=http://
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>
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Keepthinking
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