Forum OpenACS Q&A: OpenACS Feature Chart

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1: OpenACS Feature Chart
Posted by Joel Aufrecht on 01/18/04 08:15 PM
Here's the latest attempt at an OpenACS feature chart. This is very incomplete - I want to make sure the form and format are useful to people before putting in the work to fully develop the details. (Here's an earlier, dotLRN-specific chart)
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2: Re: OpenACS Feature Chart (response to 1)
Posted by Torben Brosten on 01/19/04 12:40 AM

Joel et al,

Great looking chart. I like how the OpenACS features visually indicate context.

It might be useful to also make a common-format comparison chart based on that display style: 

    table showing 
  OpenACS and other solutions (column) 
       versus 
  generalized features (list). 

          OpenACS      dotLRN    Yahoo       LAMP  ...

website    aolserver   aolserver y!Site      Apache
platform.. pg/oracle   pg/oracle y!Groups(2) mySQL(1)
CRM           
CMS         
  KM
            rss sup.   rss sup.   my!yahoo    ???
            weblogger  weblogger
  OP
            acs-content..
            
users
  bulk userimport
    from IMS files
  remote auth
  PAM support
  LDAP support

1. see openacs/mySQL versus ACID compliant Databases
2. preset reports, incomplete, can export db, not changeable

The list could convey context, and of course the field labels would not be abbreviated as shown here.

The comparison values could indicate where to go for specific info. For OpenACS, values would most likely be package or service names/links. For something like Yahoo, the general service name could be substituted.

Using the common table format, developers can adapt the feature list (and thus the comparison) to specific markets or solutions.

The table could eventually be dynamically generated, where the user chooses the features they want to compare or chooses from a list of predetermined features based on market.

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3: Re: OpenACS Feature Chart (response to 1)
Posted by Joel Aufrecht on 01/20/04 11:16 AM
I've uploaded a more complete, more simple second version, as a PDF.

I agree that a marketing comparison chart would be useful; I see it as a more detailed followup view from the first picture. Perhaps someone will begin compiling such a thing.