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Start-Up Delivers Open Source Offerings to Build User Base

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the nothing-like-give-aways-to-advertise dept.

The new wiki start-up founded by former Microsoft employees, MindTouch, has just announced two new open source offerings to help bolster their user base. MindTouch Dream, a development framework and Deki, a wiki-based document sharing program that was built using Dream, will both be debuted at this year's OSCON, currently underway. From the article: "Applications written with MindTouch Dream can be done in PHP or .Net languages such as C# or Visual Basic. Programs can run on Microsoft Windows machines or Novell's Mono software for running .Net applications on Linux or Unix."

40 comments

  1. Cool idea - hope they displace SharePoint by IntelliAdmin · · Score: 1

    Interesting that it is founded by former Microsoft Employees. The way they will make a profit on it is by selling it as a piece of hardware. If done right I could see corporations buying stuff like this...could be a good replacement for the horrid MS SharePoint

    Windows Admin Tools

    1. Re:Cool idea - hope they displace SharePoint by IflyRC · · Score: 1

      I would think they would make their money through customized development solutions and support. Sell the solution, not the software - the software is free. Simliar to how Rob Howard started up Telligent and sells "add ons" for the free Community Server.

  2. Actual links? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    In the summary, can we please have the actual links to the projects?

    http://opengarden.org/
    http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki

    1. Re:Actual links? by fkx · · Score: 1

      Ow, my eyes.

      Hurts more than an exploding dell laptop.

  3. MindTouch Dream? by blantonl · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The article really doesn't do a great job of articulating what the Mindtouch Dream framework actually is.

    FTA:
    Applications written with MindTouch Dream can be done in PHP or .Net languages such as C# or Visual Basic. Programs can run on Microsoft Windows machines or Novell's Mono software for running .Net applications on Linux or Unix.

    I'm having a hard time understanding what MindTouch Dream actually provides. Is it a development environment framework? A IDE? It isn't clear to me how an application written in "MindTouch Dream" can also be PHP -or- .NET -or- C#.

    Deki on the otherhand is clear to me, it is a port of MediaWiki http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki with extensions and provisions for managing Microsoft documents, AJAX support, and exposure as a Web service (REST based).

    All in all, I'm a little confused as to the exact value this release brings, other than some better support for M$ based content environments.

    --
    Lindsay Blanton
    RadioReference.com
    1. Re:MindTouch Dream? by Cederic · · Score: 2, Informative


      I got the impression from the article that their current wiki offering is a Wikimedia mod, but that Deki is a new bespoke development based around their Dream development environment.

      Which would make Deki something new and possibly different and definitely of interest.

    2. Re:MindTouch Dream? by gregmac · · Score: 2, Informative
      I'm having a hard time understanding what MindTouch Dream actually provides. Is it a development environment framework? A IDE? It isn't clear to me how an application written in "MindTouch Dream" can also be PHP -or- .NET -or- C#.


      I think they're taking a page from the marketing book for .NET. It took me a couple years to figure out what .NET actually is/does (hint: it's a marketing term for a whole bunch of unrelated or at best loosely-related products and marketing campaigns -- What exactly does the .NET framework have to do with MSN..?).

      --
      Speak before you think
    3. Re:MindTouch Dream? by Angst+Badger · · Score: 3, Insightful

      All in all, I'm a little confused as to the exact value this release brings, other than some better support for M$ based content environments.

      It is indeed vague, and since their site is thoroughly slashdotted right now, it will remain so if and until I remember to check it out later.

      Support for MS document formats is, however, a pretty big deal. If I had a dollar for every time an OSS solution was rejected in my workplace because it didn't support MS docs, I'd have enough money to buy a legitimate copy of Windows XP. Some people regard playing nice with MS software to be some kind of impurity or treason, but as a practical matter, it provides for easy inroads to business environments.

      --
      Proud member of the Weirdo-American community.
    4. Re:MindTouch Dream? by killjoe · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Plone supports them. You can add doc files to plone and it can extract all the data, catalog it, index it, and make it searchable. If you choose a open, non-proprietary format like ODF it can even show it to you as HTML.

      I guess I am one of those people who don't see the point of building a wiki that consists of uploading DOC files. It defeats the purpose of a wiki in the first place. At that point it's a CMS and virtually every CMS will let you upload documents of any type.

      --
      evil is as evil does
    5. Re:MindTouch Dream? by Locutus · · Score: 2, Interesting

      well, when I heard from a consultant that he knows of a few businesses who are using wiki's for software configuration management, I knew that the Windows software development market was still pretty screwed up. When I asked why they wouldn't use CVS or Subversion at the very least, he said that they are using a wiki because that is what they know....

      So don't be surprised to find many a Windows shop using wiki's just for uploading MS-DOC files or other silly things.

      LoB

      --
      "Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
    6. Re:MindTouch Dream? by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 2, Funny
      It took me a couple years to figure out what .NET actually is/does (hint: it's a marketing term for a whole bunch of unrelated or at best loosely-related products and marketing campaigns...)

      So it's like "Web 2.0", then? Thanks!
      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
    7. Re:MindTouch Dream? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well that is true, but most people mean the .NET framework, or specifically something thats either Windows forms or ASP.NET in nature. Microsoft's use is different compared to the rest of the planet.

  4. Oh Noes! by Cap'nPedro · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think I hear the sound of a chair hitting a wall!

  5. Now I understand by stocke2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    on their site they say the love open source and use mono,debian,apache,etc...
    now I understand why they don't work at MS anymore
    they got canned

    --
    A Smith & Wesson beats four aces -- Murphy's Law of Poker
    1. Re:Now I understand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      I actually had an opportunity to work for those guys last year and I turned it down. They were very close-minded, and dead-set on building their system around Windows and C#. Their dedication to open source isn't much more than lip service.

    2. Re:Now I understand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      In other words, it's impossible to write open source software using anything other than Linux and Perl. Gotcha.

    3. Re:Now I understand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OH SNAP!

      You sonned him!

  6. More MS innovation eh? by RomulusNR · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Start-Up Delivers Open Source Offerings to Build User Base"

    Yeah. Quick, think of ten other software houses that this could have ever been said about.

    --
    Terrorists can attack freedom, but only Congress can destroy it.
  7. They ALMOST Get It by TheDarkSavant · · Score: 5, Funny

    They seem so proud of themselves for being open source. Come to find out, their product only exists so users of MS Office can share their documents. Anyone else see the irony in that?

    1. Re:They ALMOST Get It by badboy_tw2002 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Are you saying engineers from Microsoft are so tainted with evil they've never heard of OSS or Linux and can't grasp the same concepts your average non-Evil Inside (TM) Linux geek can?

      Or are you trying to imply that there's no need for users of MS documents to share their documents?

      Or perhaps that because they're interfacing with a proprietary format they might as well give up all hope of being Open Source? That the two can't live together?

    2. Re:They ALMOST Get It by AaronRoe · · Score: 1

      MindTouch DekiWiki indexes PDF and other text files that are attached for searching, not just MS files. You can also attach any file you like.

      --
      ~AaronF
    3. Re:They ALMOST Get It by TheDarkSavant · · Score: 1

      What I was pointing out, and perhaps should have been more specific, is that there is an open standard for word processing and spreadsheet documents, but they seem to be focused on the proprietary formats. Which, yes, is not 'open'.

  8. MediaWiki by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative
    MindTouch's primary business is selling a so-called wiki appliance to small and medium-size companies. The appliance includes a modified version of MediaWiki, the software behind Wikipedia, and a server that can be updated remotely, Bjorg said. MindTouch changed MediaWiki to make it easier to use for workers sharing Microsoft Office documents.
    They dont have a choice. Media Wiki is released under GPL. As per GPL terms, derivatives of MediaWiki also be released under GPL. Otherwise they can be sued for GPL violations.
  9. Formula for success, 100% guarantee by Iloinen+Lohikrme · · Score: 2, Funny

    1. Make a product
    2. Open source it and hype it to death in Slashdot
    3. ?
    4. Profit


    Actually if you are clever, you can skip the part one, and just hype it to death and move to profit, also known as IPO.

    Why didn't I invent this idea? ...well I guess I just have to buy their shares when they go to IPO.

    --
    Survey research tool for commercial and scientific use
  10. A shame about the plagiarism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    OpenGarden's download icon is DropSend's logo.

    http://opengarden.org/dream

    http://www.dropsend.com/

    1. Re:A shame about the plagiarism by electronerdz · · Score: 1

      Pixel for pixel, it's the same size, and most of it is the same. The only difference is that they reduced the amount of colors, and the image then looks worse. But it is the same. But you have to remember, they are from Microsoft. Copying is what they are good at, and trained to do.

      --
      Kernel Krunch - Part of a Complete OS
    2. Re:A shame about the plagiarism by AaronRoe · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Thank you so much for pointing this out! MindTouch contracted U4EA Design (www.u4eadesign.com) to create the design for OpenGarden.org. Initially it was our opinion they did a pretty decent job. However, as we neared the end of the project our opinion changed because we felt they lacked a level of organization and professionalism that we would ordinarily expect from our contractors. Now, thanks to the person who posted this comment, we've discovered that they've likely infringed upon DropSend's copyrighted material. We're all stunned. All I can say is: we're very sorry. We had absolutely no idea. As soon as this was pointed out to us we immediately removed the images. I'm also authoring a letter of apology to DropSend. I encourage you all to send emails to U4EA Design and let them know what you think about this. Personally, I find it appalling and, of course, it makes me wonder if there are other parts of the site that are not their original work.

      Thanks for pointing this out guys.

      ~ AaronF

      --
      ~AaronF
  11. Start-Up Uses Slashdot Article to Build User Base by freeradica1 · · Score: 1

    Seriously, since when is this news? This is not a new or groundbreaking idea by any stretch of the imagination. Lucky /. has all these meta-moderating reminders ;)

  12. GPL Interpretation by zzzmarcus · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I think it's worth noting for anyone considering hosting a version of DekiWiki that MindTouch/OpenGarden interprets the GPL to mean that any USER of the software should have access to the full source including any modifications you've made (a la Affero GPL).

    1. Re:GPL Interpretation by steve_l · · Score: 1

      Whatever that is, it aint GPL.

      I dont mind companies having that as a license; but it should really be called something like "server GPL", because it is as different from classic GPL as LGPL is, and it should be separated

      It really annoys me when people reinterpret things like this, MySQL deserve special mention, IMO, as in their view if you access a database by any means, you need a license. They do this as their business model needs people to pay for licenses, but it still isnt classic GPL.

      -steve

  13. Also with AJAX based open source word processors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Source - http://www.kaneva.com/channel/channelPage.aspx?com munityId=12834&pageId=13293 ajaxWrite is a web-based word processor that can read and write Microsoft Word and other standard document formats. Anytime you need to open, read or write a word processor file, simply point your Firefox browser to www.ajaxwrite.com and in seconds a full-featured program will be available for you to open, edit, print and save. ajaxWrite has been designed to look like Microsoft Word, making it easy for anyone to start using it without needing to learn a new program. ajaxWrite also handles all the popular document formats so it's easy to share your files and collaborate with your co-workers and friends. Once finished with your document, you can easily save your work right to your hard drive. This keeps you organized and works in the same way that you're already accustomed to.

  14. worst headline and summary EVAR by ChrisCampbell47 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    And the number of comments shows it. 30 comments after 6 hours on the main page? That must be a new low. Sorry ScuttleMonkey, but hang your head in shame.

    --
    One simple rule for its versus it's
    1. Re:worst headline and summary EVAR by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      yea, what a piece of crap. i hate the term wiki, reminds me of wookie from star-gay.

  15. Re:Bear is driving? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    NOT FUNNY.

  16. Miguel de Icaza's comments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "They created a framework for building web applications, the dream framework. It is mostly focused on the back-end side of things. The framework allows developers to easily create REST services, with a number of interesting features.

    [...]

    And they ported MediaWiki to run on top of this framework, this port is DekiWiki. It differs from MediaWiki in that they have a GUI designer for the page, it is quite nice. [...] I am told that they are porting the entire MediaWiki to C# as well.

    Aside from the high-level descriptions, there are a couple of interesting bits about Dream, the framework and applications are designed assuming that network connectivity could go down at any point, that the network will likely fail. A focus on making fault tolerant applications.

    Currently Dream and DekiWiki run out of the box with Mono

    [...]

    I told Urs that I would migrate www.mono-project.com to it, but it first has to be ported to C# ;-) "

    http://tirania.org/blog/archive/2006/Jul-27.html