open source the project

[dallix Roberts]

I really think you should open source the project. But you can still keep some of the proprietor restrictions, if necessary. If you release the source then all the hundreds of programmers who applied for a job at your main office can still help the project as a added bounds you get hundreds of people helping you!  I think that it would not be too hard to have the people who say, "yea I'll help" to agree that if you want to make a project based on this programs source then you have to request permission first, that way there can't bee a 100 sub projects that are in essence all the same. please consider open sourcing this project. There are many projects that got super-charged because the developer went open source. I really hope you consider my proposal. i would hate to see this project not be as good as it can be.

with regards,

Dallix


PS any one who agrees with me, please join my post!
PSS i saw that one of the people posted that it is hard to make profit off of an open source model. you can. put in a few small adds, and have an offer that if you pay 50$ a year you can get no adds.  Also when you go open source, production costs go down. please consider this.

[Aaron Stanton]

It is and will be considered, don't worry.  If it were not something we were considering, I wouldn't have put it as an option at the top of the page. 

I take your comment seriously, and will most certainly take it into consideration.  There are some other factors that concern me more, though, and it has to do with databases.  Does open sourcing help or hinder tracking down a book database?  I don't know.  There are personal issues to consider, as well, but I'll not get into that now.  After a week or two, we (the core group) will set up a camera in our living room and sit around and discuss all the pros and cons of the different approaches, so you can see our reasoning.

At least, that's the plan. 

Aaron

[Isaac Halvorson]

I concur.

[Paul Kreiner]

After a week or two, we (the core group) will set up a camera in our living room and sit around and discuss all the pros and cons of the different approaches, so you can see our reasoning.

At least, that's the plan. 

So, when are we going to do this?  I'm guessing sometime pretty soon..?  We going to take over Brandon's living room again, or go elsewhere?

[Barney Rubble]

I strongly recommend that this project become open source.  Here's why:

1.  It appears that the underlying algorithms are hypotheses at best; unless statistical methods are clearly implemented, search results will be anecdotal, regardless of book database size.  Provable validity is paramount to project credibility.
2.  There already exists a TON of open source code to accomplish much of what you are trying to do.
3.  Immediately import (if possible) all Gutenberg Project works.  As pointed out in earlier posts, just because they are out of copyright doesn't mean that these works aren't available for purchase.  There appears to be no downside to their inclusion, and this will further spread the word among the open source community.
4.  You will still be able to commercialize a product.  Look at digg.com, for example, which can be readily reproduced with open source code.  Building a robust system to handle popularity load (as Digg has done) is the key, once you've got a functional product.

The argument for open source goes on.  About the ONLY argument not to go this route is the belief that booklamp can be developed better, faster, or more profitably as proprietary code.  This is VERY unlikely.

Open up the source, or just support a project that calls for the development of this code.  Monetizing a business will be much easier once you have valid, functional code.  Your goal (which seems to have changed from your first post on cangooglehearme.com) will be much more achievable.  The possibility of developing a usable product (or at least program) seems much more credible with open source.

[Jo Red]

I strongly recommend that this project become open source.  Here's why:

1.  It appears that the underlying algorithms are hypotheses at best; unless statistical methods are clearly implemented, search results will be anecdotal, regardless of book database size.  Provable validity is paramount to project credibility.
2.  There already exists a TON of open source code to accomplish much of what you are trying to do.
3.  Immediately import (if possible) all Gutenberg Project works.  As pointed out in earlier posts, just because they are out of copyright doesn't mean that these works aren't available for purchase.  There appears to be no downside to their inclusion, and this will further spread the word among the open source community.
4.  You will still be able to commercialize a product.  Look at digg.com, for example, which can be readily reproduced with open source code.  Building a robust system to handle popularity load (as Digg has done) is the key, once you've got a functional product.

The argument for open source goes on.  About the ONLY argument not to go this route is the belief that booklamp can be developed better, faster, or more profitably as proprietary code.  This is VERY unlikely.

Open up the source, or just support a project that calls for the development of this code.  Monetizing a business will be much easier once you have valid, functional code.  Your goal (which seems to have changed from your first post on cangooglehearme.com) will be much more achievable.  The possibility of developing a usable product (or at least program) seems much more credible with open source.

Some good points.  I have been looking into open source alternative myself. I have a product which I may or may not open source. 

Q1:  How do you get participants for your open source project ? 

Q2:  Just how can you monetize on the project ?  Can you sort of get people involved in some dummy project, while you cut and paste and rename variables/functions for your own project ?  hahaha,  sounds sneaky but it's an alternative.

[dallix Roberts]

OK let me address some of Jo Reds questions.

Q1:  How do you get participants for your open source project ?
.

well an easy way to do this is to put the project on sourceforge.net. It is a vast data base of open source projects. also if you can get the word to leak out on some-anything linux, I'll bet you can get a bucket load of developers, because a good hunk of linuxers are open source developers. If you really want their attention then try to make in 100% compatible w/ linux. once the word is out that there is a good project that is revolutionary and the code is opensource and really cool, the word will spread like bees to honey.

Q2:  Just how can you monetize on the project ?  Can you sort of get people involved in some dummy project, while you cut and paste and rename variables/functions for your own project ?  hahaha,  sounds sneaky but it's an alternative.

This question is more interesting. if someone thinks that they can add some thing to the project they can do it in 3 ways:
1 . make the modification, no questions asked. but they must say that they modified it and here is a link to the original. there modification will not be added to the main database.
2. they can start there own project, and continue from there. however i recommend that you include in the EULA that you can not make any sub-project without informing the author first, stating what you will do, why it is better than what you already have, and a preview of what there sub-project's first release will look like.
3.  If they think that it is important enough to be added to the main data base then they can do the same things as mentioned above, then volunteer to be the head of the modification.

if they chose #3 then then any modifications will go to the development version. from there you can do what you were talking about. if you like the change then you can add it to the next release. if not you can remove it or wait for it to become more mature.

as for Aaron's question:

There are some other factors that concern me more, though, and it has to do with databases.  Does open sourcing help or hinder tracking down a book database? I don't know.

I firmly believe that it will not hurt the project. just because the engine is free and open source, doesn't mean that it anyone has free and unlimited access to the book. they only have graphs that represent what reading the book will look like.