Slashdot Mirror

avdi asks: "BeOpen.com was once one of the crop of promising free-software based dotcoms, basing their business on selling corporate support contracts for the open-source development tools they also maintained. They were even the center for Python development at one time. Now, however, Python has moved on; their web site is out of date; their supported software cannot be downloaded; and they are unreachable via email. So, has BeOpen.com silently gone the way of many other dotcoms in these hard economic times, and if so, what has/will become of the open-source software they once maintained?" I tried calling the contacts listed for BeOpen.Com, and the numbers for both the administrative and techical contacts were disconnected. Not good news for those interested in the site, but maybe the software projects they housed managed to find new homes. One can hope...

"I recently became interested in a couple of XEmacs-based open-source development tools, namely Infodock and OO-Browser. A quick search on Freshmeat directed me to a page at BeOpen to download these tools. The BeOpen page was simply the top-level of a Freshmeat-like open-source application directory; when I finally drilled down to the listings for Infodock and OO-Browser they directed me right back to Freshmeat. This despite the fact that BeOpen has some lengthy product pages providing overviews, contract prices, and documentation for these tools. Everything, in fact, except a link to the source tarballs. ftp.beopen.com was unavailable. Eventually I tried emailing them at one of the addresses listed on the product pages. The email bounced.

Does anyone know of other repositories where it can be found? Is there any other group who might take on maintenance of these, software packages?"

avdi asks: "BeOpen.com was once one of the crop of promising free-software based dotcoms, basing their business on selling corporate support contracts for the open-source development tools they also maintained. They were even the center for Python development at one time. Now, however, Python has moved on; their web site is out of date; their supported software cannot be downloaded; and they are unreachable via email. So, has BeOpen.com silently gone the way of many other dotcoms in these hard economic times, and if so, what has/will become of the open-source software they once maintained?" I tried calling the contacts listed for BeOpen.Com, and the numbers for both the administrative and techical contacts were disconnected. Not good news for those interested in the site, but maybe the software projects they housed managed to find new homes. One can hope...

"I recently became interested in a couple of XEmacs-based open-source development tools, namely Infodock and OO-Browser. A quick search on Freshmeat directed me to a page at BeOpen to download these tools. The BeOpen page was simply the top-level of a Freshmeat-like open-source application directory; when I finally drilled down to the listings for Infodock and OO-Browser they directed me right back to Freshmeat. This despite the fact that BeOpen has some lengthy product pages providing overviews, contract prices, and documentation for these tools. Everything, in fact, except a link to the source tarballs. ftp.beopen.com was unavailable. Eventually I tried emailing them at one of the addresses listed on the product pages. The email bounced.

Does anyone know of other repositories where it can be found? Is there any other group who might take on maintenance of these, software packages?"

avdi asks: "BeOpen.com was once one of the crop of promising free-software based dotcoms, basing their business on selling corporate support contracts for the open-source development tools they also maintained. They were even the center for Python development at one time. Now, however, Python has moved on; their web site is out of date; their supported software cannot be downloaded; and they are unreachable via email. So, has BeOpen.com silently gone the way of many other dotcoms in these hard economic times, and if so, what has/will become of the open-source software they once maintained?" I tried calling the contacts listed for BeOpen.Com, and the numbers for both the administrative and techical contacts were disconnected. Not good news for those interested in the site, but maybe the software projects they housed managed to find new homes. One can hope...

"I recently became interested in a couple of XEmacs-based open-source development tools, namely Infodock and OO-Browser. A quick search on Freshmeat directed me to a page at BeOpen to download these tools. The BeOpen page was simply the top-level of a Freshmeat-like open-source application directory; when I finally drilled down to the listings for Infodock and OO-Browser they directed me right back to Freshmeat. This despite the fact that BeOpen has some lengthy product pages providing overviews, contract prices, and documentation for these tools. Everything, in fact, except a link to the source tarballs. ftp.beopen.com was unavailable. Eventually I tried emailing them at one of the addresses listed on the product pages. The email bounced.

Does anyone know of other repositories where it can be found? Is there any other group who might take on maintenance of these, software packages?"

avdi asks: "BeOpen.com was once one of the crop of promising free-software based dotcoms, basing their business on selling corporate support contracts for the open-source development tools they also maintained. They were even the center for Python development at one time. Now, however, Python has moved on; their web site is out of date; their supported software cannot be downloaded; and they are unreachable via email. So, has BeOpen.com silently gone the way of many other dotcoms in these hard economic times, and if so, what has/will become of the open-source software they once maintained?" I tried calling the contacts listed for BeOpen.Com, and the numbers for both the administrative and techical contacts were disconnected. Not good news for those interested in the site, but maybe the software projects they housed managed to find new homes. One can hope...

"I recently became interested in a couple of XEmacs-based open-source development tools, namely Infodock and OO-Browser. A quick search on Freshmeat directed me to a page at BeOpen to download these tools. The BeOpen page was simply the top-level of a Freshmeat-like open-source application directory; when I finally drilled down to the listings for Infodock and OO-Browser they directed me right back to Freshmeat. This despite the fact that BeOpen has some lengthy product pages providing overviews, contract prices, and documentation for these tools. Everything, in fact, except a link to the source tarballs. ftp.beopen.com was unavailable. Eventually I tried emailing them at one of the addresses listed on the product pages. The email bounced.

Does anyone know of other repositories where it can be found? Is there any other group who might take on maintenance of these, software packages?"

Updates below await your raw, chafed eyeballs anxious for information about new domain names (more than you can eat), developers eating bugs in contrition (more than you want to eat), a question about the EULA bundled with the new Larry Ellison toy (to chew on), and RSM's [Oops. That's "RMS's" -- timothy] reaction to the Qt / TrollTech take on software freedom. MMMmmmmm.

Mastering the new-domains domain You read earlier this week about the new-TLD discussions in Yokohama; inetwiz writes with several handy links if you want to know more details: "According to a report on EFnet, the ICANN executive board is scheduled to make a ruling on the proposed new top-level domain names. The papers which contain the presentations for the new top-level domains can be found here. The meeting topic paper is here. There are hundreds of URLs (a couple-hundred too many to list here!) at the ICANN Web site. For more information on the whole meeting in Yokohama, including Webcasts (woohoo!), check here. Stay tuned to see the approval!"

Can I see your license, please? backtick writes "The new NIC (ThinkNIC.com) runs on Linux and has lots of Linux/GNU software. But to buy one, you have to agree to a EULA which says amongst other things:

"You shall not reproduce, make derivative works of, distribute, rent or lease the Software. You shall not reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble or otherwise attempt to discover the source code of the Software."

Now, I don't know about you, and IANAL, but doesn't the GPL come into play somewhere around here? Maybe I don't understand it as well as I should, but nowhere on the ThinkNIC site or anywhere in any press release have they mentioned the release of any GPL'd updates, etc. Ideas from the legal-type people? (I'd thought about dropping this into Bruce Peren's lap or some of the other savvy people, but thought I'd ask it here instead. I'm sure they read Slashdot!)"

Or is this just boilerplate that legal departments at computer companies sonambulistically [thanks to RealityMaster101, I now know it should be somnambulistically. Thanks! - timothy] slap onto any ol' software release?

The last word is never the last word is never the last advtech writes "Richard Stallman asks BeOpen.com: 'Warwick Allison in your interview says some confused things about the GPL. To prevent the readers from being misled, would you please post the respose?' BeOpen posted his response on their site." Richard M. Stallman simply does not sit still when he disagrees with someone -- and it's nice to see BeOpen willing to post the response.

Please pass the DDT-sauce ... Andrew Welch writes: "I remember some people on /. wanted to track this story when it first appeared here, to see if Ambrosia Software would really go through with it. Well, we are -- we'll be eating bugs as penance for the bugs that were in our software.

Yes, that's right -- the day of reckoning has come, we'll actually be eating bugs at the MacWorld expo, as per our pledge last August! Read the article for the juicy (ick!) details:http://www.AmbrosiaSW.com/news/newslette r/

In a nutshell: 3dfx Interactive, maker of high-end 3D video cards, has teamed up with Ambrosia Software, Inc. to host the public spectacle in their booth #1455 at MacWorld/NYC 2000. In what will amount to a modern-day public lynching, users who have been plagued with bugs in software can delight in seeing Marketdroid Jason Whong eat the crunchy critters as penance for the buggy deeds of the software industry."

I guess I'd rather bugs be in the developers than in the software -- but guys, please leave room for dessert.

Konqi the Dragon points to this BeOpen interview with Warwick Allison of Troll Tech's Qt Library, writing: "Warwick is also a longtime KDE contributor with interesting things to say about GPL, QT Embedded, KDE, The Mythical Man Month, Distributed Development and scaling projects." If Warwick's words make you say "hmmm" (for whatever reason), you might also want to revisit earlier Slashdot stories about Embedded QT and Trolltech. [Updated noon GMT 10 July 2000 by timothy] Thanks to jdfox, who pointed out that I had perpetuated the misspelling of "Warwick" in the headline. Sorry, Warwick!

Konqi the Dragon points to this BeOpen interview with Warwick Allison of Troll Tech's Qt Library, writing: "Warwick is also a longtime KDE contributor with interesting things to say about GPL, QT Embedded, KDE, The Mythical Man Month, Distributed Development and scaling projects." If Warwick's words make you say "hmmm" (for whatever reason), you might also want to revisit earlier Slashdot stories about Embedded QT and Trolltech. [Updated noon GMT 10 July 2000 by timothy] Thanks to jdfox, who pointed out that I had perpetuated the misspelling of "Warwick" in the headline. Sorry, Warwick!

Clyde writes "Computer games represent an interesting frontier for Open Source development. Unlike other desktop applications, games tend to be hybrid organisms -- half software program, half artistic work. This discussion with Scott Draeker, president and CEO of Loki Entertainment Software and Jorrit Tyberghein, volunteer project leader for Crystal Space sheds some light."

Clyde writes "Computer games represent an interesting frontier for Open Source development. Unlike other desktop applications, games tend to be hybrid organisms -- half software program, half artistic work. This discussion with Scott Draeker, president and CEO of Loki Entertainment Software and Jorrit Tyberghein, volunteer project leader for Crystal Space sheds some light."

webword writes: "The Duke of URL has posted a pretty good review of Mandrake 7.1. There is a useful list of pros and cons, along with performance and usaability ratings. There are some helpful screenshots too." BeOpen submitted a link to a 7.1 review on gnulinux.com, Sensei^ one on linuxnewbie.org, and Quick & Flupke serendipitously pointed out the new slash-like Mandrake Forum where users can (among other things) suggest features for upcoming Mandrake releases.

Clyde writes "Hans Reiser speaks in this interview with BeOpen.com about the challenges/advantages of transcontinental software development, the Dodge City business environment of turn of the century Moscow, and the prospect of ReiserFS making it into [Linux kernel version] 2.4 just in time. "

Clyde writes "Hans Reiser speaks in this interview with BeOpen.com about the challenges/advantages of transcontinental software development, the Dodge City business environment of turn of the century Moscow, and the prospect of ReiserFS making it into [Linux kernel version] 2.4 just in time. "

Clyde Zellers writes: "The Python development team's leader, Guido Van Rossum, has just announced in an open letter that he is moving with his team to the Open Source startup, BeOpen.com. Guido and his team will now be devoting their full energies to Python developement and continuing with such innovative projects as Python 3000. "