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Campaign to Open Source IBM's Notes/Domino

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the if-you-can't-sell-it-use-it-for-free-advertising dept.

Ian Tree, an IT consultant from the Netherlands, has started a campaign to convince IBM to open source the code for Notes/Domino. Hoping for results similar to the push for Sun to open source Solaris, which finally saw success in 2005, Tree makes the simple point that it won't happen until someone asks. "By being an open source product, Tree is also hoping that Domino becomes something schools use to teach groupware and application development concepts, which is the holy grail for future market adoption. This is how various Unixes, relational databases, Linux, and a raft of other products eventually became commercialized. While the idea of open sourcing any proprietary program is appealing, in as much as it sets a program free to live beyond the commitment (or lack thereof) of its originator, it is hard to see why open Notes/Domino would have any more impact than OpenSolaris."

9 of 255 comments (clear)

  1. uh, no? by girlintraining · · Score: 5, Funny

    Speaking on behalf of the poor bastards that have played with Notes: Please don't put him on our team. Really, Notes is like the last kid to get picked when we're making teams. He drops the ball lots and he cries even when we play tag only. We only let him play at all because the teacher makes us.

    --
    #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    1. Re:uh, no? by Chapter80 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Ian Tree, an IT consultant from the Netherlands, has started a campaign to convince IBM to open source the code for Notes/Domino.

      It's rumored that this same consultant is trying to get a footer placed on every outbound email that says "Don't print this email. Save a Tree."

    2. Re:uh, no? by whereiswaldo · · Score: 2, Funny

      Please, get Notes out into the open! That way we can shoot it.
      What a horrible, horrible abomination.
      Or as this page calls it: "The Asbestos of Enterprise IT".

  2. Open source and Lotus Notes? by fucket · · Score: 5, Funny

    The perfect storm of horrible interface design. If only we could get the geniuses behind Band-in-a-Box on board.

  3. Have you thought about this? by Chris+Mattern · · Score: 4, Funny

    You not only want to expose the source code of Bloated Goats to the world but intentionally expose young people to it? Good Lord, man, have you no mercy in soul at all?

  4. ÂQue? by MouseR · · Score: 1, Funny

    "open source Solaris which finally saw success in 2005"

    What? WHAT?? How? When?? By whom?

    Why didn't I get the memo??

  5. Re:*ring*ring* by truthsearch · · Score: 4, Funny

    You certainly do live up to your username. ;)

    --
    Developers: We can use your help.
  6. Re:You're still on Notes 4.6, aren't you? by Hognoxious · · Score: 2, Funny

    The UI in that video certainly looks like a step forward.

    It's a command line?

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  7. Re:Upside for me.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    > If this actually happens (which it won't, but a girl can dream right?), I'll be the guy dancing in the streets.

    Gender confusion?