[geeklog-devel] Perception is everything...

[Michael Jervis]

I think there are two problems being discussed, and I dispute the
legitimacy of the relationship:

1) Marketability of the project(s) in a commercial environment
2) "Lack" of activity on the project(s)

I do not dispute that the Geeklog branding may be difficult to "sell"
to old middle/upper management types who shrink from the Geeklog name
with an expression of horror. They want "Corporate Portal Engine
Enterprise Edition 2008", not "Geeklog - The Ultimate Weblog System".
However, people looking for a blogging engine for a small spare time
project or something who would be doing it all themselves and
considering Drupal etc (like me) won't be put off by it. Also Geeklog
has bona-fide Geek attracting credentials and might help with point 2
above.

I think the best approach (having been thinking) is to "split" the
project as Trinity suggested, and have a source code project for
producing the "engine" and another project for a corporate friendly
branded "solution". I also think this is inappropriate for Geeklog 1.x
which is a blogging engine that has evolved to do much more, but very
appropriate for Geeklog 2.x which is a framework that ships with
plugins to make a Geeklog 1.4/1.5 esque system (i.e. more than a
blogging engine).

You'd then have The Geeklog Project which was maintaining the legacy
Geeklog 1.x software and looking after the Geeklog 2.x framework (as
opposed to a full ready to go installable product) and a "Corporate
Portal Engine Enterprise Edition 2008" site/system etc that was using
that to release a useable package with an installer and ready to go
base set of plugin functionality.

You could then sell CPEEE and projects based on installing,
configuring and extending it with credibility in a commercial
environment, charge a fee for it (dual licencing of geeklog 2...) etc.
Whilst "the community" could grab the Geeklog 2 Framework (G2F) and
the plugins and install them (oh yeah there would have to be a "base"
installable distro of the G2F that's close to CPEEE I guess, or at
least there would soon be one even if "we" didn't provide it). There's
plenty of scope then for Blaine's CPEEE and Trinity's CPEEE and anyone
else who has a business selling Geeklog to have their "own" CPEEE
equivalent as well as a smaller community offering. It's all in the
bundling of value add services and premium plugins tailored to your
particular market.

None of this rebranding though is close to being related to project
activity. If anything it's the inverse (who wants to dabble in CPEEE?
We'd rather contribute to something nice and Open Source/Geeky like
G2F)

With Geeklog 1.x I don't think we have the same opportunity to split
the project.

Shall I split the thread for my thoughts on activity of the project?

Mike