[Zope] Zope is in trouble

[Tim Nash]

While I agree that the zope resources look a bit stale, I think that
zope itself has never been so relevant. I am a new zope developer and
I find that zope fits well with many of the new web techniques.  I
haven't bothered to learn much page templates because my site is
almost completely built out of a javascript library (extjs) that
provides widgets, so I don't need much more than some simple dtml
calls. It is build on REST principals which fits naturally with zope
as a back end and it is a web service so I don't need a relational
database. (relational databases are of limited value when you are
building a new web service that will fit within a SOA). Also, Zope is
easy to manage through the web so my users don't need to hire a DBA.

I think the problem with zope was that it provided solutions to 2008
web development problems in 2002. If it was a private product I would
re-brand it and announce it as the perfect back end for RESTful web
services.

One suggestion: if only the admin interface was more easily scriptable
from command line python scripts. I have seen a few examples but it
would be nice to get the whole API in one place in a document or a
full featured application.

Tim


On 9/26/07, baiewola <baiewola at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Often when you find a product on zope.org, there's just a link out to
> another site, so the most recent downloads aren't even available on
> zope.org. It's often more useful and faster just to google on your zope
> topics, rather than use zope.org.
>
> How can the community help, that's what we need to know?
>
> --- Gregory Dudek <dudek at cim.mcgill.ca> wrote:
>
> >
> > I have been a Zope developer & user for several years.  Zope is great
> >
> > and it has had a major impact on my work.  All this to say I am an
> > experienced Zope user and supporter.
> >
> > I think the Zope is in major trouble and the Zope.org web site is
> > badly in need of attention.  I started using zope in 2001
> > at Xerox PARC and the helpful and persuasive resources at zope.org
> > were a major factor.  Today, zope.org is full of dead links and it
> > very
> > hard to use unless you are already experienced.  Getting started with
> >
> > Zope today is harder now than is was, even though the actual software
> >
> > is better.
> >
> > A key factor is that from the zope.org web site it is not clear if
> > the community is healthy or not, and the general impression is that
> > the project is stalled since so many links are dead and defunct (and
> >
> > in fact I am not so sure of the zope community health myself any
> > longer, despite the ongoing zope postings here).   In my opinion,
> > making zope.org look healthy and be usable is the MOST important
> > obstacle for the Zope community.  I believe this is both a symptom
> > and a cause of disarray in the Zope user/developer community.
> >
> > Zope was always a bit hairy to get into, without saying anything
> > about Plone development or Zope 3, I just want to point out that
> > without a clear simple up-to-date main web site, things are looking
> > really bad.  I introduced some zope-based material in an introductory
> >
> > computer science course a few years ago with moderate success, but am
> >
> > starting to doubt it would be appropriate any longer.
> >
> > I am not criticizing the people on this list or the other Zope
> > developers: I have enormous appreciation for what has been built, I
> > just would hate to see is dwindle in vitality and use.
> >
> > Greg
> >
> > ----
> >
> > Appendix (Examples)
> >
> > Specific evidence (these are just examples):
> >    1) search for something, say "user folder" on zope.org
> >         Pages you get are dated 2001, 2000,  2003, ....
> >
> >         Let's try link 3 for the extensible user folder (one of the
> > formerly more popular and useful items in the first few listed).
> >            Click the "more info link":  dead page (Insufficient
> > Privileges)
> >
> >      2) Click "Zope Products" on the sidebar.  Most of the listed
> > products are old.
> >
> >      3) "Resources" Sidebar Item. Click "Zope Links".  -> Site Error
> > _______________________________________________
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>
>
>
>
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