Some thoughts on direction, purpose

I've discovered the open source world. I already knew it existed, but I didn't REALLY think of it as a serious platform. I have some ideas about document management, content management, tagonomies, etc., that need a place to rest, within a role-based security structure with skins, usability, you name it.

I looked at Drupal, Scoop, DotNetNuke, XAMPP, Ubuntu, SuSE, Red Hat...and I found I prefer the BSD license structure with the Microsoft toolset. How 'bout that? I went looking deep into the FOSS (free open source software) jungle and still came out wanting the productive options Microsoft offers. Sooooo.

I compared Scoop (Perl-based, Linux only CMS) with DotNetNuke. DNN is VB.NET, but I love the structure. Scoop is neat too, but limited regarding opportunities because of its strict GPL licensing.

The key to FOSS is the licensing. BSD rules. I can write my own attachable modules and sell them aside a known open source entity that is a growing community because developers can earn money supporting it. Can't have that with Scoop, because everything I sell MUST be open source. With DNN, I can close it or open it, as I choose. Having that option is perfect.

Anyway, I am considering the option of using the DotNetNuke marketing/name recognition or re-writing my own version of it in C#, partly as exercise/fun, partly as a way to build my own brand, partly as a way to port it to Linux via Mono.

I'll have to think about that last paragraph seriously. DNN is a huge code base.

Other things to consider: marketing Scoop has its advantages/disadvantages because it is a bitch to support and admin. There is a barrier to entry that doesn't exist for DNN. What to do, what to do. I have one year of code-writing to get done on this thing I want to build. Scoop has no real community. Then there is always the dark side of Microsoft to contend with. Each side has its issues.

I'm betting I stay with MS$. ;0