[olug] Real opportunity for getting Open Source into the Enterprise

[Daniel Pfile]

It sounds like you need a simple database backed app, it could be 
easily banged out in something like php or zope (or perl... gah) with 
apache/postgresql pretty quickly. Just stick it on a server on site and 
give your end users an url. There may even be something on freshmeat 
that fits your needs out of the box.

Just how complicated are the requirements for the membership system? 
I've been looking to possibly do some volunteer work, but I'd like to 
know what I'm getting myself into. Data conversion from the old system 
is a big concern. How much automation is needed? Credit card 
processing? Reports? Automated mailings? Etc etc...

Heck, I'm thinking of getting some sort of side consulting business 
going. I could file it under pro bono work and maybe get a tax write 
off for it. (If that's possible...)

Any body else interested in helping?

-- Daniel

On Monday, November 25, 2002, at 04:41 PM, bbrush at unlnotes.unl.edu 
wrote:

> Hi.
>
> First let me apologize for the cross-post, but I didn't want to miss
> anyone.
>
> During a meeting today I identified a real life opportunity for the 
> Open
> Source community so I'm putting the word out for all you programmers 
> and
> developers.  I'm neither so I'm not really going to be contributing 
> much.
>
> First allow me to introduce myself as I don't post much.  My name is 
> Bill
> Brush and I'm a Network Engineer for NET (Nebraska Educational
> Telecommunications).  I mainly do Lotus Notes
> administration/support/development and Novell Netware administration, 
> with
> other duties "as assigned".  I don't do a lot with Linux, and I'd say 
> my
> skill is at the "competent/power user" level.  I can get it installed 
> and
> working but I can't devote a lot of time to tweaking it to get it to do
> what I want so if it doesn't do what I need it to right off the bat, 
> well
> then it's back to "tinker" status.  So far I haven't found a 
> distribution
> that does everything that I need it to (Lycoris has come damn close
> though).
>
> Anyway NET's mission is public television/public radio and distance
> learning for schools.  A small part of this is "Pledge" which almost
> everyone has seen or heard of.  In short NETV (the television segment 
> of
> NET) puts specials on the air and asks the viewers to donate money.  
> Those
> who do become "members".
>
> Now almost every public television station has a membership system 
> (which
> keeps track of the members, and their status).  This is where the
> opportunity comes in.  The offerings for a membership system are 
> EXTREMELY
> limited.  The one that NET is currently using is antiquated and the 
> company
> has said they are going to quit supporting it (I think it's a Win16 
> app).
> The current apps are almost universally Oracle based which means big 
> $$$.
> Since only a very small portion of the public televsion departments can
> afford that we are left with a large, growing pool of cash-strapped
> stations with membership systems on life support and no real affordable
> alternatives out there.  If a motivated group of developers were to 
> band
> together and create a membership system that uses Linux on it's 
> back-end
> and both Windows and Linux clients as an Open source project it would 
> make
> an almost sure bet to be adopted widely in a number of enterprises.
>
> Now for the disclaimer.  This is not an official NET project and as 
> such
> NET can not officially donate any resources.  Unofficially I can help 
> pin
> down what functionality is in the current system and requirements for
> future systems.  I might even be able to get one of our resident
> Linux-heads to contributing.  For myself my involvment would be pretty
> peripheral simply due to time and work constraints.  I can get the map 
> and
> directions, but I can't drive the bus, nor can I ride it very far.
>
> If anyone wants a project that has the potential for wide-spread 
> adoption
> and real-life application, this looks like a prime opportunity.
>
> Let me know if anyone is interested.
>
> Bill
> Nebraska Educational Telecommunications
> CNA - Netware 6
> 402-472-9333 ext 589
>
> Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre 
> minds. The
> latter cannot understand it when a [person] does not thoughtlessly 
> submit
> to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses their
> intelligence.
> --Albert Einstein
>
>
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