WebVize's WebLog

An independent C# Developer in the Netherlands

Is open Source beneficial? Rephrasing the question.

I rephrase the question as no 'real' response has come to my first question (http://weblogs.asp.net/webvize/archive/2005/02/25/380393.aspx)

I have written a Management System that works on generating traditional ASPX and ASCX controls. No I am looking if it would be beneficial to me and the community to create a open source aspect around it.

Take a look at http://weblogs.asp.net/webvize/archive/2004/10/08/239784.aspx to see the outline of the management system.

I think there are some nice appoaches defined that could be the basis of a very good management system. The problem is that I am just a single developer and progression is low if I continue on my own.. So in short I am looking for others that are looking for a new management system.

Voor de nederlanders onder ons. Ik zoek dus mede ontwikkelaars om ideen uit te wisselen en uiteraard sta ik open voor allerlei suggesties. Ik ben dus eigenlijk op zoek naar een borging van het gebouwde. Op dit moment is 1 project draaiende (http://www.kaboem.nl)  De huidige bevindingen zijn dat het een goed presterend raamwerk is en waar ook snel andere site mee op te bouwen zijn. Maar ja alleen is maar alleen en ik denk dat er genoeg ontwikkelaars zijn die ieder zo hun eigen mening hebben in de implementatie van dit soort trajecten..

Posted: Feb 28 2005, 11:11 AM by Michael Hensen | with 6 comment(s)

Comments

Alex Papadimoulis said:

I checked out your design.

No offense intended, but I don't see the point. It looks like you've invested a lot of time into this project, but I don't really understand who the end user is supposed to be.

From a "dumb user" perspective (i.e. the people who actually want to update content on a website), this tool is far too complicated. Users need simplicity. Macromedia Contribute (which reminds me of MS Word) is about as complicated as it can get.

From a developers perspective, this looks like it won't save any time and will make things needlessly complicated. I can't see it scaling to enterprise, so you're stuck with small websites (like the one you gave an example for). Again, Macromedia Dreamweaver could handle all of this and much, much more (you can even design your own user controls) for people to use in contribute. That, and DW won't be nearly as restrictive.

I think before you can get anyone to take interest in the project (from an Open Source pespective), you need to sell it as a better solution. I'm always interested in low-cost ways of developing easy to maintain websites. Nothing has come close to beating the Dreamweaver/Contribute combo. The solutions that I've tried (including one's I've developed) become nothing but "The Mouse Trap" (as in the childrens' game).

And curious ... what is with the URLs? /genpage/kaboem_184.aspx?
# February 28, 2005 10:13 AM

Alex Papadimoulis said:

Crap. That came off too harsh. Sorry about that ... just trying to provide some constructive critisism :-D.
# February 28, 2005 10:17 AM

Michael Hensen said:

the url /genpage/kaboem_184.aspx is that the system generates the aspx and ascx files based on the definition of the site.

There will be an url rewriting engine on top of this to prevent these wicked/strange url's
# February 28, 2005 3:07 PM

Michael Hensen said:

"I can't see it scaling to enterprise, so you're stuck with small websites (like the one you gave an example for)"

I wouldn't call a site with 50.000 registered users and 30.000 returning every month not a small site. Perhaps the definition of small is wrong chosen. :-)
# February 28, 2005 3:11 PM

Alex James said:

Michael,
as you know I recently open sourced Base4.NET, and I can tell you if what you are offering is good enough you will benefit from open sourcing it. I am starting to see some of those benefits already. Whether you open source it or not your challenge is always going to be communication, what is it, what does it do and how does it help. This issue has been consuming all my thinking. But at the end of the day, there is a golden rule in life, the more you give the more you recieve! Good luck.
# March 2, 2005 2:39 AM

TrackBack said:

^_^,Pretty Good!
# April 9, 2005 11:41 PM
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