This document summarizes discussions from a fireside chat on various topics relating to core tech, local open source initiatives, content management systems in a web services era, and standards. Key points included whether scripting languages are ready for enterprise use, issues with cloud computing adoption, challenges with monetizing open source locally, and areas for possible standardization around content exchange, templating languages, and storage formats. Ongoing collaboration between local open source groups and how to set up joint communications, sales, and marketing was also discussed.

1. Fireside Chat I
May 8th 2008
with Seth Gottlieb

2. Agenda
• Presentation by Seth Gottlieb
• Facilitated discussions
• Core Tech
• Local Open Source
• CMS in a Webserviced era
• Standards

3. Core Tech I
• Dries, Bruno, Tom, Dieter, Seth
• Two topics discussed
• Are scripting languages ready for the enterprise?
• Cloud computing

4. CT 1 - Scripting languages
Java LAMP
• best programming language • PHP, Python, Perl, Ruby, ...
from a language design • better deployment options
perspective • lower hosting cost
• strength: strong typing • improved productivity
• not specifically web-
focussed - used for a lot of
other/different things

5. CT 1 - Cloud Computing
• Amazon S3/EC2, Google*., virtualized mass-
hosting
• Will be used first by smaller companies
• Unsure about adoption by larger ones
• Main issue: ownership (of data, of services)

6. Local Open Source I
• Marc, Dirk, Wim, Kris, Bruno
• Why do we believe money can be made of OS
• user wants to be independent
• “let’s work together”-spirit
• Issues with monetizing OS in Belgium
• corporate policies
• larger companies preferring ‘safe’ buying

7. Local Open Source I
• Clustering local OS initiatives: how?
• experience has not been successful so far
• too much (false) competition & everybody is busy
• possibilities
• joint communications
• joint sales(/projects)
• joint marketing
• local initiative: geeks-r-us
(contact Dirk Frigne @ DFC)

8. CMS in a Web-
Services World I
• Paul, Peter, Wouter,Vincent, Poldi
• Legal implications
• ownership of data
• longevity of services
• The technical issue: distributed asset management
• change of API: problem
• Main reason for use of Webservices = cost

9. Standards I
• Erik, Karel, Luc, Adriaan, Jef
• Possible areas of standardization
• skinning & templating
• content exchange
• The One Defining Template Language: no.
• due to connectedness with underlying CMS
functionality (=competitive advantage)
• Possible use of microformats?

10. Standards I
• Storage standardization
• again, heavily linked with CMS functionality
• One established standard: RSS/Atom
• for notifications

11. Core Tech II
• Wim, Dirk, Peter,Vincent, Karel
• A note about languages: possible middle-ground
between scripting and compiled approach = Groovy
• Hosting is an important criterium
• JS development needs a better toolchain
• Challenge from Sharepoint = Desktop Integration
• Get rid of up- and download cycle
• WebDAV
• Small local (Java?) app

12. Local Open Source II
• Paul, Seth, Poldi, Erik, Bruno, Tom
• Too much competition, too little collaboration
• stress for loosing business opportunity
• who gets which part of the budget
• OS misses out on accountability (no throat to
choke)
• Wrong vision on ‘free’
• Community events = opportunity?

13. CMS in a Web-
Services World II
• Bruno, Dieter, Kris, Dirk, Adriaan, Luc
• Amazon for hosting apps and content
• nobody does it
• missing SLA
• Other open/public APIs in use?
• what about mail?
• Security
• do you trust 3rd parties with your data
• do you trust your own IT?

14. Standards II
• Wouter, Dries, Dieter, Pascal, Marc
• Missing notable standard: CSS
• Revisited microformats
• CMS needs more microformats
• menu | navigation | breadcrumbs | page-layout
• 1st step up to semantic web
• need for a killer app for MF (!= Firefix toolbar)
• what about support in mobile devices ?

15. Standards II
• Cross-site/-CMS search (library standard Z3950-
something)
• Storage
• JCR: too much connection with/interpretation
within CMS
• shared import/export format seems more suitable

16. Afterglow
• Sidenote: GhentValley.be launched
• Should we set up a Google Group for this?
• New topics: your suggestions, please. Ours:
• Webapp frameworks
• Rails/Ruby vs Java vs PHP
• Concepts and methodology
• Building a business on OS: risks, benefits, howto
• Building a business tout-court