Comments on: The Six Apart Challenge: Open Source MT http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/ The leading source of news covering the blogosphere, Web 2.0, new technology, and related topics. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:16:35 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Chuck Olsen http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/comment-page-1/#comment-40949 Chuck Olsen Thu, 14 Jul 2005 00:29:22 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/#comment-40949 I swear I've been talking to Anil in person, only to see another Anil slipping into the bathroom, and yet another ducking behind a newspaper at the bar. They're <em>everywhere</em>. It seems like a lot of people are jumping to WordPress. Ditto on Matt being a real standup guy. I really didn't understand the fuss about "gaming Google" - so what? I do it, though not with a software site or anything. The guy's gotta make a little money somewhere. I'm actually using MoveableType for the very first time on my new videoblog http://mnstories.com and I'm awfully pleased. Of course I hugely love TypePad so it's a very familiar world. I'm also not sure how open source would benefit a mature package like MT - seems like they're right where they ought to be. (Disclaimer: I don't know anything.) I swear I’ve been talking to Anil in person, only to see another Anil slipping into the bathroom, and yet another ducking behind a newspaper at the bar. They’re everywhere.

It seems like a lot of people are jumping to WordPress. Ditto on Matt being a real standup guy. I really didn’t understand the fuss about “gaming Google” – so what? I do it, though not with a software site or anything. The guy’s gotta make a little money somewhere.

I’m actually using MoveableType for the very first time on my new videoblog http://mnstories.com and I’m awfully pleased. Of course I hugely love TypePad so it’s a very familiar world. I’m also not sure how open source would benefit a mature package like MT – seems like they’re right where they ought to be. (Disclaimer: I don’t know anything.)

]]> By: Elliott Back http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/comment-page-1/#comment-37046 Elliott Back Sat, 09 Jul 2005 00:55:42 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/#comment-37046 Branding MT under an open-source license won't help anything. Whether a free product is open-source or not has absolutely no effect on my impression of the product itself. It's features that matter, not licenses. The question you should be asking is how can MT differentiate itself from the hundreds of crappy, ok, and great open source blogging platforms and put out a featureset that automatically attracts new customers. Branding MT under an open-source license won’t help anything. Whether a free product is open-source or not has absolutely no effect on my impression of the product itself. It’s features that matter, not licenses. The question you should be asking is how can MT differentiate itself from the hundreds of crappy, ok, and great open source blogging platforms and put out a featureset that automatically attracts new customers.

]]> By: Fred http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/comment-page-1/#comment-36696 Fred Fri, 08 Jul 2005 20:24:45 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/#comment-36696 Hello, "is that he is (nearly) always a gentleman in his comments, and also has the amazing ability to pop up absolutely anywhere SixApart products are mentioned, indeed I’ve often wondered if there is actually a team of people calling themselves Anil Dash sitting at SixApart headquarters monitoring blogs 24/7 and looking for opportunities to defend the company line under the pseudonym of Anil Dash." <a href="http://fgiasson.com/blog/index.php?title=28_things_to_check_when_searching_for_a&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1" rel="nofollow">I experienced it some days ago on one of my post</a>. Really, I love that kind of company: they care about customers needs and are always looking for insights. I did not know him before his comment, but I love the way this man work. Salutations, Fred Hello,

“is that he is (nearly) always a gentleman in his comments, and also has the amazing ability to pop up absolutely anywhere SixApart products are mentioned, indeed I’ve often wondered if there is actually a team of people calling themselves Anil Dash sitting at SixApart headquarters monitoring blogs 24/7 and looking for opportunities to defend the company line under the pseudonym of Anil Dash.”

I experienced it some days ago on one of my post. Really, I love that kind of company: they care about customers needs and are always looking for insights. I did not know him before his comment, but I love the way this man work.

Salutations,

Fred

]]> By: Adam Kalsey http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/comment-page-1/#comment-36612 Adam Kalsey Fri, 08 Jul 2005 18:45:16 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/#comment-36612 What exactly does an open source MT give the end user that they don't already have? There's already a license that allows MT usage for free. And the source code of the application is fully available, so people can hack it to their heart's content. The only thing the current license doesn't allow that an OS license would is the redistribution of those hacks. And to my knowledge, 6A has only once asked someone not to distribute a source hack. About the only real benefit I can see to the end user is that they could legally use MT for free beyond the limitiations of the existing free license. And that they could say the product they're using is open source. But frankly, an open source license that prohibits commercial use or redistribution is in reality no different than the licenses 6A already has. Releasing code under such a license would likely gain them more critisism than friends. What exactly does an open source MT give the end user that they don’t already have? There’s already a license that allows MT usage for free. And the source code of the application is fully available, so people can hack it to their heart’s content. The only thing the current license doesn’t allow that an OS license would is the redistribution of those hacks. And to my knowledge, 6A has only once asked someone not to distribute a source hack.

About the only real benefit I can see to the end user is that they could legally use MT for free beyond the limitiations of the existing free license. And that they could say the product they’re using is open source. But frankly, an open source license that prohibits commercial use or redistribution is in reality no different than the licenses 6A already has. Releasing code under such a license would likely gain them more critisism than friends.

]]> By: Comic Strip Blogger http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/comment-page-1/#comment-36551 Comic Strip Blogger Fri, 08 Jul 2005 15:00:26 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/#comment-36551 Sorry but Wordpress is superior to MT. One example: to install image protection against comment spam robots, it was enough for me to copy ONE FILE to plugins directory and then click on "activate". Wordpress rocks on many many levels. Sorry but Wordpress is superior to MT. One example: to install image protection against comment spam robots, it was enough for me to copy ONE FILE to plugins directory and then click on “activate”. Wordpress rocks on many many levels.

]]> By: Duncan http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/comment-page-1/#comment-36550 Duncan Fri, 08 Jul 2005 14:54:19 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/#comment-36550 For this mistake the good Matt has done will always outway the evil of that mistake in my books, because at least I can say that he was using the funds to put back into WordPress and not his own pocket. Watching the MT faithful like Andy at Waxy.org attack him sickened me, and remember that they did so while he was on holiday and off the net so he couldn't respond. Perhaps I'm amongst the fortunate few but as a consequence of that I actually got to know through email Matt's family (who are all very lovely people) and I've got to say that if anyone on the net was close to sainthood I'd nominate Matt tomorrow. They guy is a genius in my books who could have sold out 10 times over if he had wanted to. Sure, he made a mistake, but all the good he has bought us far outweighs any mistake he has made. At the end of the day there are very few people like Matt in the world. We should cherish them always, and I'll be honest in saying I'm not nearly as good a person as Matt, because I tend to see the dollar in most things, even if I don't always pursue it. For this mistake the good Matt has done will always outway the evil of that mistake in my books, because at least I can say that he was using the funds to put back into WordPress and not his own pocket. Watching the MT faithful like Andy at Waxy.org attack him sickened me, and remember that they did so while he was on holiday and off the net so he couldn’t respond. Perhaps I’m amongst the fortunate few but as a consequence of that I actually got to know through email Matt’s family (who are all very lovely people) and I’ve got to say that if anyone on the net was close to sainthood I’d nominate Matt tomorrow. They guy is a genius in my books who could have sold out 10 times over if he had wanted to. Sure, he made a mistake, but all the good he has bought us far outweighs any mistake he has made. At the end of the day there are very few people like Matt in the world. We should cherish them always, and I’ll be honest in saying I’m not nearly as good a person as Matt, because I tend to see the dollar in most things, even if I don’t always pursue it.

]]> By: John (SYNTAGMA) http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/comment-page-1/#comment-36548 John (SYNTAGMA) Fri, 08 Jul 2005 14:42:33 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/#comment-36548 Given Matt's recent foray into gaming Google, though, Duncan, maybe he's feeling the pinch. It's great being a saint, but you do have to get used to thin gruel and slim pickings. Given Matt’s recent foray into gaming Google, though, Duncan, maybe he’s feeling the pinch. It’s great being a saint, but you do have to get used to thin gruel and slim pickings.

]]> By: Duncan http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/comment-page-1/#comment-36547 Duncan Fri, 08 Jul 2005 13:59:21 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/#comment-36547 The thing with WordPress is that basically all good hosting providers already provide it in their packages, be it stand alone or through Fanstastico. My host, Site5 for example offer it through Fantastico and its used by a lot of users, so its supported through the Site5 support as well, the GNU Public License allows this, and I've got to add that its also been a big factor in the popular usage of WordPress because lots of companies now offer it. Having said this I can see a market for the WordPress team offering hosting support, but unfortunately there isn't the corporate structure there at the moment to do so, and I'm not sure that as a WordPress user I'd want it to either: the fact that the development team remain focused on the open source aspect is a bonus. There was some talk about a WordPress Inc. at one stage but I'm not sure where that has gotten to, either way personally I'd support whatever Matt Mullenweg did in this regards, a bit like I'd have supported Mena in 2003 if she hadn't looked to charge for MT. The thing with WordPress is that basically all good hosting providers already provide it in their packages, be it stand alone or through Fanstastico. My host, Site5 for example offer it through Fantastico and its used by a lot of users, so its supported through the Site5 support as well, the GNU Public License allows this, and I’ve got to add that its also been a big factor in the popular usage of WordPress because lots of companies now offer it. Having said this I can see a market for the WordPress team offering hosting support, but unfortunately there isn’t the corporate structure there at the moment to do so, and I’m not sure that as a WordPress user I’d want it to either: the fact that the development team remain focused on the open source aspect is a bonus. There was some talk about a WordPress Inc. at one stage but I’m not sure where that has gotten to, either way personally I’d support whatever Matt Mullenweg did in this regards, a bit like I’d have supported Mena in 2003 if she hadn’t looked to charge for MT.

]]> By: John (SYNTAGMA) http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/comment-page-1/#comment-36546 John (SYNTAGMA) Fri, 08 Jul 2005 13:30:07 +0000 http://www.blogherald.com/2005/07/08/the-six-apart-challenge-open-source-mt/#comment-36546 I missed most of that history, but your solution is certainly intriguing. I'd be surprised though if they haven't already done some feasibility work on that. I'm also surprised that Wordpress hasn't offered a hosting solution, especially if the licensing can be finessed as you suggest. I missed most of that history, but your solution is certainly intriguing. I’d be surprised though if they haven’t already done some feasibility work on that. I’m also surprised that Wordpress hasn’t offered a hosting solution, especially if the licensing can be finessed as you suggest.

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