TheOpenSourcery.com is about 50-50. I cover just about as much proprietary software as open source – remember PHP, Java, JavaScript and CSS are all Open Source. I also have a tendency to feature free software because I think next to Doctors, IT developers have the toughest constant re-education row to hoe in all of the professions … so if it is free and open its easier to get your hands on the code and try it out – reducing the barriers of entry to software development. One of the tasks that theOpenSourcery is dedicated to.
However, an astute reader has pointed out that my coverage of the IT trade press is out of whack – I cite many more people from eWeek, InfoWorld, Information Week and other “professional” press sources than I do from Open Source blogs and sites. This entry tries to redress the balance. Here are 3 of my favorite “Open Source” press resources . There will be lots more to come in future postings:
451 Group
The 451 Group is dedicated to “CAOS = Commercial Adoption of Open Source. This blog covers open source in the enterprise. It is written by analysts from The 451 Group, an independent technology-industry analyst company focused on the business of enterprise IT innovation…” Over the past 3 months I have found myself picking up more stories here on the 451 Blog simply because they are very current on breaking news, have always interesting and sometime contrarian points of view – but also great links in the stories to the original sources. Now you have got to love true Open/Original Source resources.
OpenSourceCMS.com
What if you could go to a website and tryout full versions online of some of the most popular Open Source CMS systems – WordPress, Gallery, Joomla, PHPbb, Mambo, and over 100 categorized into blogs, portals, image galleries, wikis, eCommerce, forums, groupware, eLearning, LiteCMS, and miscelllaneous. Even better, each category is rated here for best CMS. And Even better still you can try any or all of the CMS live including the admin panel of each CMS by just following a simple link. Talk about a gold mine of info – but there is more. OpenSourceCMS also has a great discussion forum. If you are thinking of going CMS you have got to stop by here.
DeskTopLinux
Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols and I do not necessarily see eye to eye on a number of Linux topics; but his coverage of the trends on the Linux Desktop are consistently top notch. For example, earlier this year Steven did one of the only comparisons I found in the trade press between a Linux Desktop (Ubuntu) versus Vista – a topic that the major IT Trade Press like CNET, Computerworld, eWeek, Information Week, Network World, PCMagazine etc, etc would not touch with a ten foot Pole… uhhh pole. Given that Vista has given away lowest cost, most peripherals, and most applications crowns by a long shot to Windows XP and Linux respectively – broad coverage like Stevens would have saved the countless people who have bought new Vista systems to their chagrin – so much pain and trouble(which I have unfortunately been unable to duck with so many MBA “buddies in bad times”). But Desktop Linux consistently gets behind the news both good and bad for Linux on the desktop. For example, see Stevens take on the Lenovo-Suse Linux Desktop deal.
Now these three resources are not like Freshmeat, SourceForge or Java_Source – which are very valuable but are primarily Open Source download sites. The above sites help keep you up to date with some of the more important resources, trends and stories in the Open Source world. Check them out.
(c)JBSurveyer 2007 If you liked this, let others know:
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