ptw
02-27-2009, 06:21 AM
OpenLaszlo is an open source project. What does "open source" mean for the OpenLaszlo user? The software is "free", but what does that mean exactly?
Laszlo Systems, Inc. is the primary sponsor of the OpenLaszlo project. They fund a number of full-time developers for the project. Laszlo builds proprietary products on the platform, and their directly funded developers are primarily responsible for ensuring those products are supported. Laszlo also sells consulting, support, and training for other OpenLaszlo users, and the Laszlo-funded developers ensure those users are also supported.
Laszlo Systems released OpenLaszlo as an open source project because they feel it benefits themselves and their customers to have as many users as possible of the OpenLaszlo platform. This is one of the benefits of open source to a commercial company: the users who avail themselves of the "free" software provide additional "free" QA, "free" bug fixes, and "free" enhancements. Another benefit to commercial (paying) users of OpenLaszlo is that they are not beholden to Laszlo Systems: they have access to the OpenLaszlo platform, and the community of OpenLaszlo developers, that would allow them to continue it's use independent of Laszlo Systems.
What's in it for the "free" user? The "free" user gets, for nothing, the usage of a sophisticated, commercially supported, platform. But, the primary beauty of open source to the "free" user is that they are never stumped by documentation or a bug -- the source is open! Go figure it out. Fix it. Contribute your fix back. Then you know that you won't have to worry about that problem in the next release. Open source means, you get the source for free. But it doesn't mean you get premiere level service and support for free! That's why Laszlo Systems sells support contracts.
So, there are two faces to OpenLaszlo:
If you are a commercial developer, with critical deadlines and quality requirements, you can purchase premiere-level support of your usage of OpenLaszlo through Laszlo Systems. With that support, you will have the confidence that your bugs and enhancement requests will receive priority attention. And, you have the confidence that you are not relying on a proprietary platform that makes you beholden to the platform owner.
If you are a "free" developer, you get the usage of OpenLaszlo, complete with all the source. You get community resources which allow you to communicate with other users (commercial and free) to discuss bugs and features. You are able to participate at the deepest level on the development and evolution of the OpenLaszlo platform -- all design, development, bug fixing, discussion, reviews, etc. are carried out on open mailing lists. Bugs are tracked in an open system. Source is versioned in an open system. The only secrets are inputs from commercial users that they require be kept confidential.
The "free" developer is an important part of the value of open source, but they should not over-estimate their importance. They don't pay the bills. You will notice that bugs and enhancements filed by "free" developers get the most attention when they come with a fix or implementation, or are bugs that can be demonstrated to affect the entire community with a simple, reproducible test case. Bugs without a fix or specific test case, general complaints, wish-lists will just not be addressed. You would be better off putting some energy into refining your bugs and enhancements to meet the aforementioned criteria than to clutter the bug system.
We hope this helps you understand what you can expect as an OpenLaslzo user. What's "free" is the source. Training, support, consulting, can be purchased. Bug fixes and enhancements get paid for either with financial support or an "in kind" payment: by providing the fix. As you participate in the community you will notice that there are a number of key members of the core development team who are not funded by Laszlo Systems -- these members have chosen the "free" route: they barter their services in exchange for seeing their improvements incorporated into the platform in support of their own projects. It's not done out of altruism, it's done out of cooperation -- to make a better platform for everyone.
Don't be a bystander. If you are building on the OpenLaszlo platform, participate in it's evolution and improvement -- it benefits everyone. Just don't expect something for nothing!
Laszlo Systems, Inc. is the primary sponsor of the OpenLaszlo project. They fund a number of full-time developers for the project. Laszlo builds proprietary products on the platform, and their directly funded developers are primarily responsible for ensuring those products are supported. Laszlo also sells consulting, support, and training for other OpenLaszlo users, and the Laszlo-funded developers ensure those users are also supported.
Laszlo Systems released OpenLaszlo as an open source project because they feel it benefits themselves and their customers to have as many users as possible of the OpenLaszlo platform. This is one of the benefits of open source to a commercial company: the users who avail themselves of the "free" software provide additional "free" QA, "free" bug fixes, and "free" enhancements. Another benefit to commercial (paying) users of OpenLaszlo is that they are not beholden to Laszlo Systems: they have access to the OpenLaszlo platform, and the community of OpenLaszlo developers, that would allow them to continue it's use independent of Laszlo Systems.
What's in it for the "free" user? The "free" user gets, for nothing, the usage of a sophisticated, commercially supported, platform. But, the primary beauty of open source to the "free" user is that they are never stumped by documentation or a bug -- the source is open! Go figure it out. Fix it. Contribute your fix back. Then you know that you won't have to worry about that problem in the next release. Open source means, you get the source for free. But it doesn't mean you get premiere level service and support for free! That's why Laszlo Systems sells support contracts.
So, there are two faces to OpenLaszlo:
If you are a commercial developer, with critical deadlines and quality requirements, you can purchase premiere-level support of your usage of OpenLaszlo through Laszlo Systems. With that support, you will have the confidence that your bugs and enhancement requests will receive priority attention. And, you have the confidence that you are not relying on a proprietary platform that makes you beholden to the platform owner.
If you are a "free" developer, you get the usage of OpenLaszlo, complete with all the source. You get community resources which allow you to communicate with other users (commercial and free) to discuss bugs and features. You are able to participate at the deepest level on the development and evolution of the OpenLaszlo platform -- all design, development, bug fixing, discussion, reviews, etc. are carried out on open mailing lists. Bugs are tracked in an open system. Source is versioned in an open system. The only secrets are inputs from commercial users that they require be kept confidential.
The "free" developer is an important part of the value of open source, but they should not over-estimate their importance. They don't pay the bills. You will notice that bugs and enhancements filed by "free" developers get the most attention when they come with a fix or implementation, or are bugs that can be demonstrated to affect the entire community with a simple, reproducible test case. Bugs without a fix or specific test case, general complaints, wish-lists will just not be addressed. You would be better off putting some energy into refining your bugs and enhancements to meet the aforementioned criteria than to clutter the bug system.
We hope this helps you understand what you can expect as an OpenLaslzo user. What's "free" is the source. Training, support, consulting, can be purchased. Bug fixes and enhancements get paid for either with financial support or an "in kind" payment: by providing the fix. As you participate in the community you will notice that there are a number of key members of the core development team who are not funded by Laszlo Systems -- these members have chosen the "free" route: they barter their services in exchange for seeing their improvements incorporated into the platform in support of their own projects. It's not done out of altruism, it's done out of cooperation -- to make a better platform for everyone.
Don't be a bystander. If you are building on the OpenLaszlo platform, participate in it's evolution and improvement -- it benefits everyone. Just don't expect something for nothing!