[IDE] - The Dynamic Opportunity - ActiveState Komodo IDE / Open Source

[Ilias Lazaridis]

followup to comp.lang.perl.misc

[I will read the other groups, too]

-

The following suggestions result out of an one-day website review of
Active State [1].

-

http://lazaridis.com/samples/com/ActiveState/

*Suggestions:*

Near Future:
*Open* Source the Komodo IDE.

Immediately:
*Free* the Personal Edition for non-commercial use (now $29,95 ).
*Change* "killer" to "dynamic": Komodo - The Dynamic IDE.
*Clarify* product overview on the home page.
*Simplify* Komodo Trial download.
*Automate* license installation.
*Enhance* Company Section

-

As a first step, a free personal edition (non-commercial and academic
use) would help to spread the Komodo IDE within the communities.

This would be a gentle contribution to the open source dynamic
languages, which are a foundation for the ActiveStates business.

An Open Source Komodo IDE would allow the several dynamic language
communities to collaborate on a common goal.

Dynamic Language are more powerfull than just for scripting, aren't
they? Placing this power on top of an huge java source-code base, like
eclipse is, reduces this power [3].

ActiveState has everything needed, including the backup of Sophos [4], a
large scale company in the threat-management domain (which would benefit
from an open-source implementation, too).

This could (at a later point) become similar to the eclipse [2] project,
but specialized on dynamic languages.

-

If you think that an Open Source Komodo IDE would be of benefit for the
dynamic languages, just ensure to spread this thought around.

-

Any comments are very welcome.

-

[1] - http://www.activestate.com

[2] - http://www.eclipse.org

[3] - http://www.eclipse.org/proposals/dltk/

[4] - http://www.sophos.com/

..

 

[Ed Leafe]

As a first step, a free personal edition (non-commercial and academic
use) would help to spread the Komodo IDE within the communities.

This would be a gentle contribution to the open source dynamic
languages, which are a foundation for the ActiveStates business.

An Open Source Komodo IDE would allow the several dynamic language
communities to collaborate on a common goal.

If Komodo were to go open source, I would certainly consider it as
the basis for the Dabo IDE project.

-- Ed Leafe
-- http://leafe.com
-- http://dabodev.com

 

[Ilias Lazaridis]

If Komodo were to go open source, I would certainly consider it as
the basis for the Dabo IDE project.

And other IDE vendors and tool developers would surely follow.

just like the chain-reaction within the eclipse project (see below) -
but with the dynamic languages domain.

-

http://www.eclipse.org/membership/members/add_in_provider.php
http://www.eclipse.org/membership/members/strategic.php

..

 

[Scott David Daniels]

As a first step, a free personal edition (non-commercial and academic
use) would help to spread the Komodo IDE within the communities.

Yeah, and ActiveState makes up the loss in income on volume, eh?
I've got no problem paying for good work.

 

[Ilias Lazaridis]

Yeah, and ActiveState makes up the loss in income on volume, eh?

The personal edition costs currently $29,95.

A $0,- personal edition would spread around quickly.

Commercial users still have to order/upgrade the professional version
($295,-).

I've got no problem paying for good work.

This is not about paying for good work or not.

It is about an opportunity for ActiveState and the dynamic language
communities.

-

It is about a weaknesses-of [1] and upcoming/existent threats-for [2]
the ActiveState Komodo IDE.

After implementing the initial step (free personal edition), the
situation would change slightly:

*Strength*: free edition for non-commercial and educational use *available*.

*Strength*: simplified distribution due to no-cost version (which could
be packaged e.g. within distributions which have not strict open-source
requirements. ActiveState would keep his rights).

Those (and the other existent) strengths would not be enouth to deal
with the threat [2].

Further steps would be necessary (like a step by step transformation to
open source).

The NetBeans IDE [end of 2004 - current status unknown] contained
several non-open-source binaries, thus it was "partial open source" and
not "open source", as it was marketed.

ActiveState could follow this example initially (whilst clarifying the
status "patial open source" of course).

Step by step, more and more binaries would be released into open source,
allowing this way ActiveState to go slowly through the process of
applying the necessary changes (including 'mentality'-change of the
staff and the developers).

The license could(!) be similar to the eclipse foundation's one.

-

Hope this has clarified the topic further.

-
-
-

both excerpts below are taken from:
http://lazaridis.com/samples/com/ActiveState/product.html

[1]
"
*Weakness*

* Komodo Free Edition Not Available
o Could have e.g. negative influence on Open-Source-Communities
o Reduces distribution

*Suggestion*

a) Initial Step: ActiveState should make the Komodo personal edition
"free of charge".
*Commercial* users still need to upgrade to the *professional* version
for a license fee.

*Benefit*

This would most possibly lead to *spreading* the IDE *widely* within the
dynamic language communities and would attract users which look for a
free IDE (which partially will update to the professional version).

A free edition would *simplify* the *download* procedure drastically. A
link "get the free personal edition" from the main page would be enough.
No license-key required. Quick, Easy and no hassle - get an IDE for 5
dynamic languages.
"

-

[2]
"
Threats

eclipse dynamic language support - http://www.eclipse.org/proposals/dltk/
upcoming competitive IDE's (based on eclipse or others)
"


..

 

[tclguy]

*Weakness*

* Komodo Free Edition Not Available
o Could have e.g. negative influence on Open-Source-Communities
o Reduces distribution

You logic is badly flawed.

 

[Ilias Lazaridis]

My apologies for the inconvenience.

The corrected sentence:

"Could have negative influence on image (e.g. within
Open-Source-Communities ) "

http://lazaridis.com/samples/com/ActiveState/product.html

You logic is badly flawed.

My statements are normally backupd by rationales.

You can simply verify their validity.

-

"Reduces distribution"

I think no one can doubt that a free version (ideally one which can be
redistributed freely) increases the distribution of a product.

"simplified distribution due to no-cost version (which could be packaged
e.g. within distributions which have not strict open-source
requirements. ActiveState would keep his rights). "

-

The simplified download should be undoubtable, too:

"A free edition would simplify the download procedure drastically. A
link "get the free personal edition" from the main page would be enough.
No license-key required. Quick, Easy and no hassle - get an IDE for 5
dynamic languages."

-

Thank you for notifying me about the wrong wording.

..