Hi Michael,
From a research point of view, my approach to software frameworks has changed over the years, and I have become a big believer in true open source projects like openacs. OSPI was of interest to me as the community was clearly adopting an open approach. However, their recent integration with Sakai makes this openess a little bit more complex.
I understand the reason for establishing SEPP, as support is a big issue with large institutions that are considering an LMS or any other major software investment. However the model doesn't work for research. Small research groups just can't afford the annual fee of $10,000. And even if I had the contacts, I still wouldn't be able to persuade my University to become a SEPP member as they are locked into WebCT... probably indefinitely. Any other system used within my University is considered a "feral" system.
So my goal is to establish a true open source portfolio application, and I believe this can be done with OpenACS and the dotLRN community. My primary goal for developing a portfolio application is for research, but I hope the outcome of which can lead to a useful portfolio application.
