CALL FOR SPONSORSHIP: The Open Group Ware Project

[David A. Cobb]

OK, Who will provide a web host & mailing list processor (as a start) to throw
this
around?  First or lowest bidder?  I am not beholden to anyone (yet - they
don't
pay me :-} ), CollabNet has been good to OpenOffice but GLUE might give us
more
common ground.

Dan Kuykendall wrote:

> > == Recognizing The Potential:
> >
> > Evo and OO both recognize that comprehensive groupware functions GREATLY
> > enhance the appeal of their respective products:  Evo sees shared
> > calendars, shared contacts, a user-administered back-end permissions
> > system, etc. all contribute to making Evo more valuable.
>
> Can I mention that phpGroupWare (and other such solutions) would also
> benefit greatly by a joint effort? We are already moving toward doing
> this all by ourselves, but could benefit from a shared effort.
>
> > ==  Facing The Reality
> >
> > Evo and OO realize that building something that competes (at least on
> > some level) with Exchange and Notes is a significant undertaking.  Their
> > products are shaping up, but there is still a LOT of work to do.  Time
> > is of the essence.  Both groups conclude that their time is better spent
> > working on their core products; but gosh-darn-it, it sure would be nice
> > to have those back-end features.
>
> Ahhh the ever present dilemma. I think that this can be solved. In fact
> I am working on solving part of this with the phpGroupWare project (will
> explain more later).
>
> > == The Light Comes On
> >
> > Evo and OO know what what open source is all about.  They
> > advocate/cheerlead/champion an open groupware initiative, put out a call
> > for developers, post notices on their websites, and sound the general
> > call to arms:  "We want to free countless corporate employees and system
> > administrators from the tyrannies of expensive, proprietary groupware
> > systems and the whims of their vendors!"  To get critical mass, they
> > might ask some other prominent open source groups - or - gasp - a
> > standards body - to get on board.
>
> Why in the world isn't this happening?!
> I spend countless hours trying to talk with other groupware projects and
> constantly try and find out if they are building any kind of inter
> operability between their and my project, but am shut down with little
> to no real consideration. Im ready to play ball with other projects. Im
> ready to make this dream reality. I just cannot do it alone.
>
> > == The Call Goes Out
> >
> > Evo and OO are pretty well-known among the open source community;
> > developers hear about this "open groupware standards" thing and become
> > interested.  The founders of the 20 or so groupware projects that have
> > languished still-born on sourceforge are reinvigorated by this call to
> > action, thinking "Hey, I won't be ALONE this time, I'll have Ximian and
> > OO on my side, and all these other developers are interested too!"  They
> > call their project sidekicks in on it.  Eventually a persuasive
> > charismatic (or two) emerges, like a Jobs or de Icaza.  He spreads the
> > gospel at conventions:  "We're taking it to the next level, people!"
>
> Why not start now? Im ready... what about leaders of other groupware
> project? I will start a mailing list if needed, but I think that maybe
> FSF would be more appropriate.
> I am in the middle of creating the "Open Source GroupWare Foundation"
> which is going to start by taking control of phpGroupWare, working as a
> governing body to help push phpGW development in a focused direction.
> Right now we are in the process of a complete cleanup of our code. As
> soon as this process is done I will be starting a draft for an
> XML-RPC/SOAP interface to the API and core apps (email, calendar, todo,
> notes). This XML-RPC/SOAP interface will open up our interface and data
> store to any number of programming languages. This is where the "Open
> Source GroupWare Foundation" will help step in and maintain the
> XML-RPC/SOAP interfaces and work with app developers who want to build
> interfaces in GTK, VB, C++ or whatever. So the idea is to start with
> what we have, but work toward opening it up to other languages.
> At some point we will probably start development of the back end using C
> which will be a full blown daemon. Of course it will have a built in
> http server which will be responsible for transporting the xml-rpc/soap
> data.
>
> I personally think that XML-RPC/SOAP is the best way to go for the back
> end services required for all these GroupWare clients to use.
> XML-RPC/SOAP is supported by most major programming languages, its
> flexible and fairly well designed, its network centric and it is very
> buzzword compliant. Just think of how kick ass it will be to offer a
> free and open .NET groupware service before M$ does. I think it can be
> done. I think with my start in phpGW it can be done.
>
> Granted I don't think that PHP is the best long term solution, but I am
> already working in this direction, and everyone else seems to be lost in
> committee. The phpGW development is pushing ahead with or without anyone
> else, but would of course rather have some heavy weights such as OO and
> EVO working with us to make sure that the XML-RPC/SOAP structures we
> build are properly re-usable by any groupware client. Building this
> structure is the most important part. The backend code (PHP) can easily
> be replaced by a better/faster solution if it becomes necessary.
>
> > == The Word Is Heard  (or: "Gentlemen: I give you - OOGS!")
>
> <nitpick>What is the second O for?</nitpick>
> I say we start drafting OGWS (Open GroupWare Standard) using
> XML-RPC/SOAP now. I will build phpGW as the first implementation of the
> backend (unless someone can beat me to it).
>
> If no one joins me, I will do it myself. I have already been working
> toward this and will keep doing so. Those that join will simply make
> sure I do it the best way possible.
>
> > As Evo and OO's interest in open groupware standards rises, they start
> > talking to each other more about interoperability.  Neither wants their
> > fate tied to the fate of the other, but they find areas where they can
> > cooperate and benefit without risking their own positions.
>
> This is where a backend that is completely separated from the GUI's will
> benefit everyone.
> BTW, my XML-RPC/SOAP implementation will take into account vCard and the
> iCalendar standards. I personally don't think a whole lot of iTIP since
> I have yet to see a single iTIP daemon. Also as a stand alone daemon it
> seems far too limited. You would end up talking to IMAP for email, iTIP
> for calendar/todo, maybe some kind of vCard daemon for contacts... I
> think it MUCH easier for everyone if the XML-RPC/SOAP services deal with
> the data and leave the client side to giving the user a rich and useful
> tool.
>
> > == Stirrings in the Volcano Island Fortress
> >
> > The proprietary vendors pretend to ignore OOGS.  They don't even mention
> > the word.  They forbid their employees to discuss it.  But in the upper
> > echelons, they're reading everything about OOGS that they can get their
> > hands on. Extra-double-plus-good lieutentants are permitted to install
> > the OOGS betas, and submit secret reports to the bigshots.  Finally,
> > when eWeek or C-Net run an article on it, they break down and issue a
> > statement:
>
> Isn't this the funniest part?
>
> > == OOGS 1.0
>
>  == OGWS 1.0
>
> > Soon,  the world is a brighter place.  Thousands of people are using
> > OOGS, many of them not knowing it or caring, but nonetheless enjoying
> > the very real benefits of a choice of
> > mail/organizer/calendar/document-sharing clients.
> >
> > And they all live happily ever after.
>
> Can we get some singing and dancing munchcins for good measure?
>
> > I"ll leave it to you to decide where the plausibility ends and pure
> > fantasy begins :-).  But stranger things have happened - and are
> > happening right now in our midst, I would say.
>
> Well, fantasy will become reality at least in something getting done.
> Its only up to everyone else to start working together on this backend
> to define it properly.
> I am not the most talented programmer in the world, but I am not sitting
> still. The team that works with me are excited and forward thinking. We
> will move to open up our backend to other languages, and just hope that
> everyone else takes advantage of our efforts. If not, I know I did what
> i could.
>
> Seek3r (aka Dan Kuykendall)

--
David A. Cobb, Software Engineer, Public Access Advocate.  Public Key at:
<http://pgpkeys.mit.edu:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=superbiskit>
"Don't buy or use crappy software"
"By the grace of God I am a Christian man,
 by my actions a great sinner" -- The Way of a Pilgrim [R. M. French, tr.]