SV: How to sell Python ( and OpenSoruce )

[Max Møller Rasmussen]

Fra: thomas at cintra.no [mailto:thomas at cintra.no]

>I need selling points for OpenSource, the idea and philosophy,
>examples of successful technology and eh .. moral support. I feel like
>I`m in the lions den right now. ( " Think of a happy place. Calm blue
>ocean, calm blue ocean ..." )

OS, Database, webserver, scripting language etc. is only building blocks for
making an applicatiuon server, where all the web functionality is divided
into managable modules that can be reused.

It probably is to expensive to develop your own application server
(appserver) with all the nessecary modules. Besides it will quickly fall
behind other open and commercial appservers in features, as they will have
more resources to develop them. So in the long run you must use either an
open or a commercial appserver.

If on the other hand you develop your own appserver you have the advantage
of owning the source code, so you don't risk devolping a lot of
functionality/modules/components on a platform with a loose foundation.

Ie if the company developing your appserver, stops supporting it, goes
bankrupt, or merges with another company, hostile takeover etc. You will no
longer be able to support your customers software. And that is BAD
business!!!!

I have been in this situation and it has been my worst business experience
ever. You have build a trust relationship with customers, and suddenly you
can no longer support them.

It also did cost us a few customers!

Therefore I believe that the ONLY possible way to develop web apps is with
an open source solution. You get the same scale as a commercial appserver,
and you have full controll/ownership of the code.

Currently I believe that Zope is the best solution when considering
language, features, performance etc. If only it was better documented there
would be more components and it would start to really take off.

The price of SQL server, NT, etc. doesn't really matter a hoot, except in
very small companies.

When somebody (like us) charges aprox. $150/hour+Tax, then the cost of
software is a very small percentage of doing business. Something that saves
time, improves customer relationships, gives better functionality and makes
it easier to estimate project cost, is a far better argument. This is what
an open source app server will do.

Kind regards

	Max M