Quote this comment

Nate Posted…

For some reason I find this to be a difficult question to answer. It seems that the open vs. closed debate has very different answers depending on the type of product being discussed, the client, and the useage. In terms of content management systems and backend solutions, I tend to ask on a client per client basis why I would pass along a closed product cost to the client, if I could save them the dollars to use on my implementation and design services? But it’s not always a simple answer, mostly I choose open source products. But my clients tend to have small scale requirements that do not tax the support limitations of an open source product. Along the same lines, I do not posses the programming skills to create something deeply complex enough that would benifit from a payed application support person being only a phone call away. For my level of questions, I actually find many more resources in the open source arena.

Although I have experience with neither broadvison, nor interwoven, the one project that I was involved in that included a similar type/scale of application was remarkably cost inefficient for the client for the following reasons:

• Huge initial cost overhead
• Very limited support (very quickly, any issues were blamed on the way we implemented things, rather than the app itself, even if proven otherwise)
• Cobbled together framework cost extensive implemenation time
• Cobbled together framework required creating workarounds and bad coding practices which cost more during bug fixing and revisions

During that time I was involved as a project manager, and quite frankly, was pleased to help bring the project to near completion without getting the company I worked for sued.

It’s important for me to point out that I don’t take this one experience as a reflection on all closed source backend solutions, it’s more of a worst case scenario that disproved many of the arguments made (validly) for other closed source solutions, I don’t think it’s the norm (at least I hope not).

Quote this comment

Simon Willison Posted…

I think now is a great time to start learning Zope :)

Quote this comment

dkr Posted…

I’ve recently been on the bad side of a relativly cheap (if you compare with Interwoven, Broadvision, etc.) “closed source” CMS solution. It was something that made sense at the time the purchase was made, I think, but makes little sense now. What “Skipping Dot Net : Licenses Down, Services up” says about a move to a service based model is so true, and in my case not nearly worth the money. The CMS is too rigid to work with, and becuase the vendor set it up that way–I have to pay for custom work even if I could figure it out myself. Not a good way to go if you ask me. To their credit, they are still working it all out and have been fairly helpful when pressed–but still–it’s not worth the price when I would be able to do 90% of that custom work myself. The bottom line is that a good bit of change was spent on something that is non-standard, semi-functioning and shakily-supported. I’m not sure if an open source solution would have been ideal at the time, or even if there is one out there now that would do what we want, but heck, I’m willing to look into it. No solution at all might have been better for what we paid (and are still paying) for it. Time will tell. For now–I’m just hoping we can cut our losses. I guess thats not up to me though. I can only recommend at this point. In general I think it really depends on the project and an the product (technology) or service you are looking at. Obviously if you can get the job done for cheaper and save your organiztion/clients money as well as meet the needs of the project–open source is the way to go.

Quote this comment

pete Posted…

As an ‘average developer’ I stand on the side of open source whenever possible.

As an employee of a company, I’ve suggested an open source CMS solution, but it is unlikely my recommendation will be considered. The cost of the services needed were most likely the reason. Some people believe a canned solution will do the job just fine.