[Catalyst] User Generated Content (project collaboration)

[Graham Stead]

When I think of user generated content I think of CMS, a fairly crowded
software genre that already contains many mature open source and commercial
solutions.  I don't personally believe there are great gains to be made
here, although I could be wrong.

Looking at something a bit more unusual, an open (Catalyst) version of a
solution like Ning would be extremely interesting.  I would propose a
decentralized user base with federated user profiles (i.e., FOAF).

As a newbie developer, Ning is extremely attractive because it delivers most
of the glue you need -- including a community of users -- for social
applications.  You just deliver your unique idea and business logic.  Ning
removes many obstacles to building a serious site.

However, serious sites (especially those with commercial aspirations) will
shy away from Ning because Ning blurs many key issues: who owns the site
intellectual property; who owns the users?

Providing an open framework for these types of applications is something
Catalyst would be great at.

Just my random thought for the day,
-Graham

> -----Original Message-----
> From: catalyst-bounces at lists.rawmode.org 
> [mailto:catalyst-bounces at lists.rawmode.org] On Behalf Of John 
> Napiorkowski
> Sent: Monday, August 14, 2006 10:30 PM
> To: The elegant MVC web framework
> Subject: Re: [Catalyst] User Generated Content (project collaboration)
> 
> Is this something like HTML::Widget but more so?  I'd be very 
> interested to see what comes out of this since I've never 
> been happy with HTML::Widget really, athough I guess there is 
> a new release out very shortly.  The main reason I am still 
> using it is because of the DBIx plugin for it that really 
> cuts down on boilerplate code.
> 
> I've been building a layout system based on subrequest where 
> each page region is a subrequest to a portlet-like 
> controller, that way I can do AJAX style bindings but also 
> support full page refreshes if necessary.  I'd be happy to 
> contribute the code if it was useful.
> 
> Anyway, seems like there is a lot of interest in the parent 
> idea.  Maybe it's time for all of us to meetup on IRC 
> something to discuss?  That way we can all get out our ideas 
> and what we have already done and see if it fits together.
> 
> With catalyst growing so fast I definitely see the 
> possibility of several teams reinventing several wheels, 
> which would be a great shame.  --john
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Matt S Trout <dbix-class at trout.me.uk>
> To: The elegant MVC web framework <catalyst at lists.rawmode.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 1:59:36 AM
> Subject: Re: [Catalyst] User Generated Content (project collaboration)
> 
> Dennis Daupert wrote:
> > */Roman <roman at fili.ca>/* wrote:
> > 
> >  > I have an idea for a great Catalyst based project that can  > 
> > really show the power of Catalyst and spawn some extra  > projects 
> > from this and give Catalyst some coverage.
> > 
> > I think the time is right. I've tracked other recent posts 
> (*Sigh. How 
> > do we get on this list?*) and going back to the Christmas 
> 'Wish List' 
> > A number of people have expressed interest/desire in creating/using 
> > Catalyst to provide a cafeteria of web site components. 
> Catalyst has 
> > been maturing to the point that IMHO it's time to build the 
> > "portals-in-a-box"
> > 
> > I, too, have been working on similar ideas, and would very 
> much like 
> > to play. I have some rough draft web widgets I'd hoped to 
> have up on 
> > the internet this past weekend, but life intervened. It 
> should be up 
> > soon, tho. I'll be very happy to contribute any code I've put 
> > together. In my usual 'Creative Ambivalence' fashion I have several 
> > different directions in mind all at once for a 'configurable web 
> > portal' toolset that range from development team tools thru 
> CMS thru ecommerce.
> 
> We have a sane set of widget classes which integrate 
> effectiely with normal Catalyst usage already on the build, 
> combined with a way of handling controller layout that makes 
> *-in-a-box bolt-ons much easier; expect a public release in a 
> week or three.
> 
> Once that's done we'd be interested in feedback as to whether 
> this would be a suitable basis for this sort of project; it's 
> certainly going to be for our future re-usable application 
> components but you guys may have something different in mind, 
> at which point we'd be happy to refactor to ensure it works out.
> 
> I've been keeping fairly quiet about this so far because we 
> don't want to make people stop work while they wait for our 
> stuff to turn up, but I'm pretty confident we'll have 
> something out in the open by YAPC::EU, so any of you who're 
> coming to the Catalyst BoF session there should start making 
> notes so we can have a proper discussion of this sort of 
> thing in person.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> List: Catalyst at lists.rawmode.org
> Listinfo: http://lists.rawmode.org/mailman/listinfo/catalyst
> Searchable archive: 
> http://www.mail-archive.com/catalyst@lists.rawmode.org/
> Dev site: http://dev.catalyst.perl.org/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> List: Catalyst at lists.rawmode.org
> Listinfo: http://lists.rawmode.org/mailman/listinfo/catalyst
> Searchable archive: 
> http://www.mail-archive.com/catalyst@lists.rawmode.org/
> Dev site: http://dev.catalyst.perl.org/
>