I think Zope has more potential to spread and increase its users base than OpenACS. I really like Photo.net (a large "heavily modified"-according to them-, ACS implementation) and really would like to replicate some of its most appealing features. But as I'm not a DBA, and to learn to manage databases seems to be unwilling for an information architect, I find Zope to be a better choice for an excellent basement to any future low-cost, information-rich web site.
From my point of view Zope has the advantage of running in Windows boxes as well as Unixs, because it lets non Linux gurus to give Zope a try at the very first time, with a single installation. Also, this single installation is really a huge help, because it allows the newbie to see the learning curve as an answer to "how do I do more?" instead of "how do I get all this to work?".
Zope IS really easy to learn IF there's someone to tell the basics. When Zope reaches the classrooms, and there are teachers teaching fundamentals -like the acquisition concept- I'm sure the users base will grow really faster. I don't know about other languages, but I see myself as an example that the gap between htmlers (every other web worker except DBAs ;) ) and database administrators, is easily filled with DTML (and of course ZPT, wich is meant to be the DTML's succesor). I keep admiring the philosophy under Ars Digita. I'd like to see something living as Alex (or George?) as a logo for the Zope platform, and some color at Zope.org (for God sake! ;) ) but (fortunately) it seems like the community doesn't need it. Ausum ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Ward" <mward@techrocks.org> To: <zope@zope.org> Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2001 9:50 AM Subject: [Zope] Zope v OpenACS and nonprofit application developers
Hello all: I work with a nonprofit organization that helps other nonprofits with technology. We do everything from developing a free desktop database application, www.ebase.org, to providing strategic consulting to progressive activist groups on how to further their mission.
Currently, there is a very active discussion about building applications for the nonprofit world in open source tools. 2 platforms are being discussed OpenACS and Zope. The discussion has quite a few champions/developers of OpenACS, but there aren't any people that seem to have real experience with Zope. A couple have played with it or done small projects.
The discussion is taking place on a listserver sponsored by the Nonprofit Open Source Intiative, www.nosi.net, which isn't much of anything beside the discussion that I am referring to.
If there are some people in this community that have an interest in nonprofit organizations and would be willing to share their expertise on zope, it would be greatly appreciated at this important decisionmaking time for us. Not to mention I think there will be some development power spawned out of this discussion.
So...You can subscribe from here => http://www.nosi.net/mailman/listinfo/nosi-discussion . (If you look at the archives, the discussion gets interesting around the post with the subject "The problem of picking a programming language/framework".
And honestly, I don't think Zope sucks as badly as the OpenACS people say ; ) (That is a total joke trying to bait people into participating.)
m
-- Michael Ward Senior Consultant TechRocks, A supporting organization to the Rockefeller Family Fund mward@techrocks.org 212-812-4255 http://www.techrocks.org
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