Comments on: Not Invited to the Open Web

By: Lloyd

Lloyd — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 20:25:32 +0000

David, I completely understand wanting to stay focused on the people making it happen. You’re doing the right thing focusing on engaging the implementers, and being a grass roots foundation, but the implementers will run into the same barriers if don’t also have people on your team excited about speaking the language of companies and press.

Ignore the people that don’t see the necessity of your foundation, and equally ignore the people that can’t appreciate the necessity of the politics.

Besides, regardless of your desires, the press will spin it as they do, and people will ask us why we weren’t founding members (just like they did).

To say we don’t participate in those communities is not true. We’re both a small team and a large community, and we are really pragmatic about how we participant:
* WordPress.com is an OpenID provider.
* We’d like to use OAuth for blog client access.
* OpenSocial is definitely an important community for BuddyPress
* DiSo is an important part of the WordPress ecosystem.
* And there are numerous WordPress plugins that directly relate to these communities initiatives.

Besides, it’s not like you and I are not regularly exchanging emails

By: David Recordon

David Recordon — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:54:31 +0000

I agree that there would have been an opportunity to show Six Apart and Automattic on the same slide, though last week was really not focused on companies or press. We are very much been downplaying company involvement (I’m waiting for the video to get online so that people can see that) and asked that no one issue press releases around the creation of OWF. The big day will be when OWF is up and running with the first project going through the incubator.

I think the main reason it was never thought about was that people from WordPress/Automattic haven’t been participating in the OpenID, OAuth, and OpenSocial communities where this largely stemmed from. A whole group of us were feeling pain around having to deal with IPR every single time so wanted to try to only need to create one more foundation instead of half a dozen over the next year.

By: Lloyd

Lloyd — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:27:52 +0000

Hi David, Thanks for the comment. I’ve joined the list and am looking for opportunities for myself or my colleagues to participate.

I still think an opportunity was missed in not having WordPress and Automattic participating as announced participants.

By: David Recordon

David Recordon — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:14:18 +0000

The Open Web Foundation isn’t invite based at all, nor is it focused around companies. Just like the Apache Software Foundation it is based on individuals who show up and do work. I’d love to have you join us on the mailing list http://groups.google.com/group/open-web-discuss and help get the organization up and running. Even better would be contributing to a project once the incubator is going.

By: Lloyd

Lloyd — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:05:54 +0000

Niall, I am enjoying the conversations so far. It’s great to see all the wonderful people are involved.

I think the Open Web Foundation will be an important vehicle for getting adoption of web technologies by the BigCos.

I found Chris Messina’s article insightful, and can’t even imagine the IP games that have to be played.

I do expect there will be great opportunities for our participation in the future, though the most important things we can continue to do is keep putting our work out there as open source and incorporating these open web technologies that meet the needs of WordPress members.

By: Niall Kennedy

Niall Kennedy — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 17:36:20 +0000

Matt spent $5,000 per year of his Automattic money on Apache Software Foundation bronze-level sponsorship. You’re already active on the shipping code side of the house, but perhaps there are good collaborative homes for specs such as Pingback. Open Web Foundation is currently a slide deck and a mailing list, but when it actually enters full Foundation status there may be new opportunities.