Comments on: Open Letter to SixApart http://www.wisdump.com/notes/open-letter-to-sixapart/ Dumping wisdom on design and the web Sat, 01 Oct 2011 03:29:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ted http://www.wisdump.com/notes/open-letter-to-sixapart/comment-page-1/#comment-4883 Ted Fri, 07 Jul 2006 19:50:39 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=209#comment-4883 Reminds me of the reasons I switched from MT to WP <a href="http://tedpearson.com/blog/?p=510" rel="nofollow">back in March of 2004</a>. Wordpress has come a long way since then though, back then it didn't even have plugins, just a "my-hacks.php" file. I still love it and use it for 2 of my own sites, and 3 relatives' sites that I run for them. Reminds me of the reasons I switched from MT to WP back in March of 2004. WordPress has come a long way since then though, back then it didn’t even have plugins, just a “my-hacks.php” file. I still love it and use it for 2 of my own sites, and 3 relatives’ sites that I run for them.

]]> By: Viking KARWUR http://www.wisdump.com/notes/open-letter-to-sixapart/comment-page-1/#comment-4882 Viking KARWUR Wed, 24 May 2006 10:09:14 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=209#comment-4882 Oic... I used MT & WP... but I love MT... Oic… I used MT & WP… but I love MT…

]]> By: Jessica http://www.wisdump.com/notes/open-letter-to-sixapart/comment-page-1/#comment-4881 Jessica Wed, 24 May 2006 07:45:29 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=209#comment-4881 Ah... Ben + Mena = Bena = two An inside nickname - I did not know ;) Ah… Ben + Mena = Bena = two

An inside nickname – I did not know ;)

]]> By: WD Milner http://www.wisdump.com/notes/open-letter-to-sixapart/comment-page-1/#comment-4880 WD Milner Wed, 24 May 2006 07:44:52 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=209#comment-4880 It all comes down to a matter of taste and preference. Some of the things you seem to find a deficiency in MT are exactly why I prefer it over WP - the ability to built the site as static pages and PERL rather than PHP for two. I actually found WP more difficult to customise (perhaps, I admit, because I am more familiar with PERL than PHP). As for the commercial aspect there is plenty of open source software that charges a fee for commercial versions (consider RedHat and SuSE as prime examples) and commercial software that provide a free version for personal use (such as MovableType and ExpressionEngine). As a user I have access to the source code and can modify it to suit me so long as I don't redistribute it. This provides 90% of the benefits of open source. Innovation can be a good thing so long as it provides greater utility to the user and isn't done just to add one more feature because it can be done. That way lies bloat and bugs. Bug fixing however is a necessary processes to keep on top of. I have used both MT and WP and am currently redoing my personal sites in TextPattern. I have downloaded the ExpressionEngine core but haven't had a chance to play with it yet but I hear good things. Any software is a tool to an end. One must use the one that does the job you want to do in the most efficient and acceptable manner for the user. All else is fodder for discussion over cold beer and hot espresso. *grin* It all comes down to a matter of taste and preference. Some of the things you seem to find a deficiency in MT are exactly why I prefer it over WP – the ability to built the site as static pages and PERL rather than PHP for two. I actually found WP more difficult to customise (perhaps, I admit, because I am more familiar with PERL than PHP).

As for the commercial aspect there is plenty of open source software that charges a fee for commercial versions (consider RedHat and SuSE as prime examples) and commercial software that provide a free version for personal use (such as MovableType and ExpressionEngine). As a user I have access to the source code and can modify it to suit me so long as I don’t redistribute it. This provides 90% of the benefits of open source.

Innovation can be a good thing so long as it provides greater utility to the user and isn’t done just to add one more feature because it can be done. That way lies bloat and bugs. Bug fixing however is a necessary processes to keep on top of.

I have used both MT and WP and am currently redoing my personal sites in TextPattern. I have downloaded the ExpressionEngine core but haven’t had a chance to play with it yet but I hear good things. Any software is a tool to an end. One must use the one that does the job you want to do in the most efficient and acceptable manner for the user.

All else is fodder for discussion over cold beer and hot espresso. *grin*

]]> By: Geof Harries http://www.wisdump.com/notes/open-letter-to-sixapart/comment-page-1/#comment-4879 Geof Harries Tue, 23 May 2006 15:55:06 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=209#comment-4879 Devin, you bring up a good point. Is paying for a MT license worth it? I say no, given the product's current status. Conversely, I pay a yearly license for Feedlounge because I feel it's worth it. Feedlounge does all of what I mention above and more, so paying less than $50/yr is something I wouldn't think twice about. Devin, you bring up a good point. Is paying for a MT license worth it? I say no, given the product’s current status.

Conversely, I pay a yearly license for Feedlounge because I feel it’s worth it.

Feedlounge does all of what I mention above and more, so paying less than $50/yr is something I wouldn’t think twice about.

]]> By: Devin http://www.wisdump.com/notes/open-letter-to-sixapart/comment-page-1/#comment-4878 Devin Tue, 23 May 2006 14:55:38 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=209#comment-4878 Does anyone feel MT was ever worth that much money? I look at that and think... "well shit, if I could make that much money from the blog it <em>might</em> be worth it." Does anyone feel MT was ever worth that much money? I look at that and think… “well shit, if I could make that much money from the blog it might be worth it.”

]]> By: Geof Harries http://www.wisdump.com/notes/open-letter-to-sixapart/comment-page-1/#comment-4877 Geof Harries Tue, 23 May 2006 14:31:37 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=209#comment-4877 Personally, I could care less if a product is free, open source or costs me a yearly license to use. As you have alluded to, if a company doesn't continually improve its flagship products, stay in touch with their customer base (be it blogging, social marketing or otherwise) or go out of their way to retain the boatloads of users who are or are considering switching to a competing platform, then they deserve to go down in flames. A product that was great doesn't stay great forever. Innovate or die, as the saying goes. Personally, I could care less if a product is free, open source or costs me a yearly license to use.

As you have alluded to, if a company doesn’t continually improve its flagship products, stay in touch with their customer base (be it blogging, social marketing or otherwise) or go out of their way to retain the boatloads of users who are or are considering switching to a competing platform, then they deserve to go down in flames.

A product that was great doesn’t stay great forever. Innovate or die, as the saying goes.

]]> By: yggdrasil http://www.wisdump.com/notes/open-letter-to-sixapart/comment-page-1/#comment-4876 yggdrasil Tue, 23 May 2006 14:18:57 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=209#comment-4876 Olá Mário, pensava que só eu é que tinha problemas com o MT até verificar que o Paulo Querido não só vendeu o weblog.com.pt à aeiou como também trocou a plataforma do blog dele (de MT para WP). :D Olá Mário, pensava que só eu é que tinha problemas com o MT até verificar que o Paulo Querido não só vendeu o weblog.com.pt à aeiou como também trocou a plataforma do blog dele (de MT para WP). :D

]]> By: Scrivs http://www.wisdump.com/notes/open-letter-to-sixapart/comment-page-1/#comment-4875 Scrivs Tue, 23 May 2006 14:15:46 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=209#comment-4875 Jessica: It's not a typo because "Bena" is actually a combination of Ben and Mena Trott, the original creators of MT. It's my own little nickname for them :) Jessica: It’s not a typo because “Bena” is actually a combination of Ben and Mena Trott, the original creators of MT. It’s my own little nickname for them :)

]]> By: Scrivs http://www.wisdump.com/notes/open-letter-to-sixapart/comment-page-1/#comment-4874 Scrivs Tue, 23 May 2006 14:13:51 +0000 http://wisdump.com/?p=209#comment-4874 Mark: We need to transfer servers first before we do anything with Business Logs. As for going corporate, I think you can definitely be corporate and chase the money without forgetting about the people. Hell, you should've seen more interactivity now that they didn't have to worry about how to pay for their next meal. Automattic could easily fall under the same trap so they must be just as careful. Same goes with 9rules and any other company that depends on a strong community to keep them growing. I do think Automattic will be different though simply because their core product is already Open Source so if Mullenweg goes off the deepend we are still left with something and a strong community to work on it. Mark: We need to transfer servers first before we do anything with Business Logs. As for going corporate, I think you can definitely be corporate and chase the money without forgetting about the people. Hell, you should’ve seen more interactivity now that they didn’t have to worry about how to pay for their next meal.

Automattic could easily fall under the same trap so they must be just as careful. Same goes with 9rules and any other company that depends on a strong community to keep them growing. I do think Automattic will be different though simply because their core product is already Open Source so if Mullenweg goes off the deepend we are still left with something and a strong community to work on it.

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