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List:       jabber-jdev
Subject:    List of active XMPP projects (was: Re: [jdev] jabberd2 2.1 Release)
From:       Sander Devrieze <s.devrieze () pandora ! be>
Date:       2006-12-03 16:15:25
Message-ID: 4572F81D.4090007 () pandora ! be
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Matthias Wimmer schreef:
> Sander Devrieze schrieb:
>> Add a note to the old website saying "This project is abandoned and
>> unmaintained. <b>No security fixes or patches will be made!</b> Please
>> strongly consider switching to a <a href="http://some_page_on
>> xmpp.*_that_lists_all_maintained_XMPP_servers"> maintained XMPP
>> server</a>."
> 
> Well there are security fixes for jabberd2 and Tomasz does release them
> (beside other work he does on the code). Why should we than not link to
> Tomasz' site?

Yes, that's also fine. But you still have a problem when Tomasz 
eventually stops with his jabberd2 developement, like what happened with 
  jabberd2 and WPJabber in the past. (btw@Tomasz: do you still work on 
WPJabber?)

> Linking to a complete server list will suggest a user,
> that he has to switch to another software product, which is not true.

I think a list with *active* XMPP server projects (and lists of clients 
and libraries!) would be a great thing to add on the xmpp.* website. In 
that way people for example easilty can see that jabberd14 is still an 
active project and not replaced by jabberd2.

Requirements of such a list:
* formalised process to get and maintain a high quality list
* the project owner(s) should request the listing of their project
* the project owner(s) should ping regulary that they are alive and have 
time for the project
* the list should contain all multiple contact channels to get in touch 
with the project
* link to the code of the project of it is open source, or to the 
binaries if it is freeware (it would be a nice feature if the XSF would 
make regular backups)
* end users should be able to complain when an inactive project is still 
listed, of course they should be able to prove this and the complaint is 
forwarded to the project owner(s)
* inactive projects will be moved to another list with an explanation 
why (ith optional notes of the previous project owner(s)). This list of 
abandoned projects should make it easier for people to take over 
maintainorship of a project (for example, people that want to write new 
software instead of contributing to an existing project, because they 
really want to be the boss). This idea also applies to commercial closed 
source projects; if a company goes bankrupt and it cannot find someone 
to buy the codebase it can add a message to that page so that companies 
can contact someone to buy the code, or so that people can buy free the 
code (cfr. Blender).

Advantages of such list would be:
* Market transparency improves (end users): choosing good XMPP software 
will become easier, less risky, and thus cheaper. This will allow the 
XMPP community to steal market share from big non-XMPP vendors who are 
chosen for this reason.
* Easier re-use of abandonned code (new contributors): see previous 
paragraph. This will result in less, but higher quality projects, and 
thus will improve the XMPP brand to the outside world.
* Stronger community (community): I guess most XMPP projects will be 
eager to link to and promote such high quality list(s) of compatible 
projects.

-- 
Mvg, Sander Devrieze.
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