Forum OpenACS Q&A: Re: Why do you [plan to] use OpenACS ?

I am a big fan of your Webmin, I have build my custom, internally used, small Virtualmin-like admin control panel years ago - about 1990/2000 - using as a base some of Webmin core and modules, and I really appreciate you have posted your review on OpenACS TODAY, since, as you wrote:

"If every user wastes as much time on trying to get broken apps to work as I did, it's a lot of manpower going into very unrewarding pursuits"

You have saved my life - OK, almost 😉

I have found OpenACS just few days ago (and only because I found (via Google) a link to project-open (Frank rocks!) on some Mambo forum archive while looking for really working groupware) and get so excited about it so I started planning whole new project OACS-based, but at the same time I was somehow confused, how is it possible such a GREAT framework AND packages are almost unknown? why developers here are "tired", why there is no buzz around (like mostly hype about RoR) ? why Lars Pind switched to RoR? (I can't believe he switched only because he likes 37signals people), and the like - many questions.

I realized OACS is a BIG beast, but it is not a problem for me, also, this is not a problem for me I know nothing about Tcl, AOLserver, and very little about Postgres, I have lived mainly in a Perl world since 1997, but excited so much about OACS, so now I prefer to learn Tcl, ADP etc. instead of going RoR and writing fancy looking code in minutes - but from scratch everything, reinventing everything again - as the rest of the LAMP world.

I suspected something must be wrong here, but honestly, never ever suspect it is as broken as Joe explained above. WOW! "awesome"! Don't get me wrong, but if OACS weterans here would donate only 50% of time spent on discussing "what and how to improve the OACS homepage" to just make "spring-cleaning" on surface level only, they would get resolved 80% or more their frustration about not-growing community, zero-buzz around there etc. I feel you really have no idea how many great people you have loosed without any notice - just because that plain reasons, explained by Joe in his post.

Joe, thanks again, you saved me months of frustration with OACS. I am still excited, and still believe developers here can change this chaos here to avoid further frustration and dead of project at the end, just think, there is BIG market for OACS, and it doesn't need to be only dotLRN focused, get me for example: I have found OACS "by accident" only thanks to Frank (project-open), and groupware (not only community oriented) tools around OACS are still reinvented in LAMP world, with no success there, and you have here what they are dreaming of!!! Awake!!

To get a picture about how big market waits for OACS based solutions, please read something like:

http://asymptomatic.net/2005/03/16/1398/a-groupware-hole/

Going to my part - as I am not a programmer, just self-educated Perl hacker, I have also some experience with making self-selling websites - mostly in Polish since my English is mainly Perl-based 😉 but with some help from native speakers I can write/compose really self-selling website for OACS, but, wait, I first want to know if community and developers here are open to first make some spring-cleaning as suggested by Joe, since even with best sales-letter ever, there is no way to sell current chaos of bugs, confusing docs, orphaned items etc. here...

Best,
Adam