[Linux-aus] RELEASE: DON'T LET YOUR VENDOR'S ROADMAP LEAD YOU UP THE GARDEN PATH

[Ryan Verner]

On Sat, 2004-05-15 at 15:05, Rasjid Wilcox wrote:
> On Saturday 15 May 2004 14:36, Ryan Verner wrote:
> > On Sat, 15 May 2004 12:16:12 +1000, Stewart Smith wrote
> >
> > > On Wed, 2004-05-12 at 17:48, Jeff Waugh wrote:
> > > > These are interesting words to choose, when quite a number of FOSS
> > > > projects are developing future-looking roadmaps that, while intended to
> > > > be fulfilled, may not be. :-)
> > >
> > > I think the difference is - we admit that we might not make them :)
> >
> > Depends.  Look at sourceforge; plenty of vaporware.
> 
> I don't think sourceforge vaporware has any relationship to discussion at 
> hand.  The press release is talking about released platforms that 'vendor 

Perhaps not, but:

> I think the difference bewtween XML-RPC and SOAP is a case in point.  XML-RPC 
> is well defined and stable, and will be supported within many open-source 

Which highlights our strength.  It's not that we (as in, open source
community) are that we're admitting we're not going to make our
'roadmaps'; in general, most large projects are very honest (perhaps too
honest; how many 0.xxx projects out there are more functional than their
proprietry competitors?), but there's a /hell/ of a lot of projects out
there that are all hype and no show, and I'm pretty sure it's something
MS, for example, have used as a point against open source.

Several conclusions can be reached.  Our roadmaps are so versatile, for
example, that if one wishes to take a project to new levels, they have
the freedom to do so.   Not only are you not locked into a solution, but
you can deviate from the offering, which can make end users incredibly
happy indeed.

R