User: mosabua

Re:SkoleLinux (School Linux)

On: Free Software as a Public Good

Check out the url... this project is in Norway!! SkoleLinux means SchoolLinux in Norwegian..

What do you mean? Getting big into this?

On: Using MovableType?

Weblogging is something people do for all sorts of reasons, but I can't imagine doing it as part of work because I have to. I am not even sure if that is what you plan. I more think down the line that you want to offer weblogs for users as a sort of application service provider. Is this true? If so you will have to look at more than one system. There will never be one system that fulfills all requirements for the different weblogs. Same as there will never be one car that is useful for everything .. or a content management system in terms of internet... Anyway.. I suggest you check out many more weblogs than just one system. I personally don't know movabletype but I found it only support MySQl and BerkelyDB ... and Oracle and PostgreSQL are only planned... looks like they don't have a db abstraction layer.. now that is not good... Manfred

Maybe try PHProjekt

On: Volunteer Management Software?

I am not exactly sure what you volunteer managements software does but if you need to manage them for projects, track time, contact them and so on you might want to check the web-based groupware system PHProjekt. We use it for all our time tracking at work as well as calendaring and so including public calendar on the website and more.

Use prebuilt components

On: Dealing with Difficult Development?

Depending on the specifications you will gain quite a bit by using systems that are already out there.

E.g. you can use the an open source content mgt system for the basic site and write a plug in for the specific needs. Try e.g. Postnuke

if you are aiming for a LAMP solution.

Groupware plus forums

On: Weblogs in the Enterprise?

Another alternative is to implement PHProjekt. This is a web based groupware system running in a LAMP type scenario.

It allows you to set up different groups separately and includes a forum system

It also includes timecard, contact, project management, chat and so on. I set it up at work for our company and it works very well.

Re:Work performed after hours

On: When Given the Opportunity to Revise Work Contracts?

Sure. But in a addition I feel it is important that Open Source stuff remains open. Otherwise you cant really use any.

Re:Better idea

On: When Given the Opportunity to Revise Work Contracts?

Or they might fire you because you didn't provide any feedback and did not seem to care ;-(

Honestly, if something in your contract is important to you (and it better should) you better get things right.

And if they fire you because you had a suggestion/wish you might be better off not being there anyway.

Re:Work performed after hours

On: When Given the Opportunity to Revise Work Contracts?

I totally agree with this.

You should get a clause signed that any work you do on GPL or Open Source for yourself or the company can not be claimed by the company as well. You can explain that this will allow you to be much more efficient (by using open source tools) as well as being able to get improvements back to the Open Source world. I did this for example with changes to a groupware system (www.phprojekt.com), a web mail system (www.horde.org) and a content mgt system (www.postnuke.com).

You should be able to push this through either in the contract itself. Or if that doesnt work, you can get a separate amendment for you only signed (for those silly standard contracts).

For sample contracts you can check out this page on the SAGE Australia site.

Moral Rights might help (Australian Idea)

On: Beware Employment Contracts

Hi again!

just a follow up to my contract snippet. In Australia there is a term called Moral Rights of Authorship that are part of the Copyright act.

Normally you have to sign an waiver of all moral rights on employment because they give you VERY wide control of your work.

They were intended for book or film authors preventing from rip offs and so on, but they DO apply for programmers and engineers and so on as well.

If your contract does not contain a waiver for those rights you are most likekly fine and actually have a lot of control.

Maybe there is something like that in the US as well...

manfred