Re: Greetings from beyond the south!
My Friends:
> Here are some Web-based packages using PHP that are on the list to be
> evaluated for inclusion in Debian-Lex:
>
I like the Mozart, as far as I couldn't check the source (I couldn't download
a non corrupted file) But as far as I check in the online demo, it's very
"adaptable" to a PostNuke CMS solution (see bellow)
> I agree that since OpenOffice.org and Mozilla are cross-platform, and
> since it is anticipated we will have a back-end database that is
> accessible through ODBC on Windows, you can migrate people gradually off
> Microsoft Windows by using dual-platform client-server applications.
>
Well, my idea is to develope "something" based on PostNuke (www.postnuke.com).
Why? Becouse the postnuke is EASY to manage n'install for "first timers"...
and 4 us, there's a lot of stuff under GPL to fool arround n'adapt to our
needs, jejeje! Now I'm seeing this "Mozart", I see that it could be adapted
to fit in a PostNuke (php + mysql = a homerun! :-) Why? Simple, perhaps
Postgre could be better as a db choice, but if the end user wants to hang the
programm on line, a mysql hosting is cheaper and more usual to find as a
"default" service than one with postgre. And after all, mysql is stable and
could handle big ammount of data safely and it's also usable under Windows,
so I think that for this reasons this db is the best choice we have, in order
to help later the migration of the data to Linux. Whatever we do in Linux, I
think that it must be also done in Windows (and this is the easiest way of
developing something for that BIG segment). What do u think about?
> I agree that we want to be able to make money out of Debian-Lex (either
> by using it or as consultants installing and configuring it), however I
>
What I thought is that the soft is GPL, but the added value online services,
no (but we'll gonna charge a small fee: in the volume of customers is the
biz, and not in a license: that's for free; even more, that way is the best
way to combar "pirates": it's free, use it :-), and that each countries
databases could be consulted by others chapters. And what's that "added value
services" I'm talking about: simply, laws and cases, integrated throug a
module in the system. I repeat, the day to day case management solution must
be GPL, what u charge is access to that data (ok, some things, as the legal
codes, could be at the users machines, so that way u win in speed, and in
less frequent queries to your db ;-) U'll see, as much as I want to provide
that service for free, it's impossible without any kind of funding: u must
pay someone to do the data entry, the hosting and some minimum
infrastructure, in order to compete with the big players. And if we all
organize ourselves, we could each one of us organize in our countries a
chapter, and then we could give reciprocal access to that data we develope in
each chapter, so all the customers of this services could have access to laws
and cases and, why not, legal articles about "stuff".
> think it is important that the results of internationalisation and
> localisation efforts are freely contributed back to the project. If
>
That's my objective here: develope something usefull, even if u don't have
"local support": the user must use this everywhere, no matter what legal
system they have. And if u think it, it's not "that" difficult (ok, it's
difficult, but not that much)
> someone wants to pay you to customise the software, try to convince them
> to allow you to open source your work, as this benefits everyone.
>
Well, we must not refuse those pennies, but what I want to do is something
customizable 4 d user through some GUI (no "hard code" at all for the end
user!). It will be DEFFINETLY hard to do, but I have the time, the age and
the will to achieve such deal (and I'll deffinetly need help in order to
"speed things up" :-)
> Lots of ways, see our mailing list archives for some ideas. Maybe you
> could install the three packages mentioned above and work out whether
> any of them are worth packaging (and translating), since I have only
> briefly looked at them so far and I am a Perl person not a PHP person.
>
Well, due I'm a php person, it seems that I'm going to translate this, at
least, to spanish and portuguese (I also know german, but I'm not that much
confident). I also could provide hosting and develope a website for the
project (something neat in postnuke: powerful, fast n'easy to install! ;-)
> I have been a bit snowed under during the last week but the first major
> [ . . . ]
>
Well, here I couldn't help that much, but count me in for the translations.
> If anyone either doesn't understand (I know there are some
> Debian-newbies on this list) or disagrees with or wants to help out with
> the plan that I have outlined above, just say so.
>
The plan seems to be good, but I think that we need something brand new, that
allow us to do stuff in a single enviroment, becouse I know that the ones
involved here could start using lots of different programms to do things, but
I'm concerned about that fellows that doesn't have a clue about a computer,
so they'll gonna see this, and they will be scared to death. Unfortunately,
people see that the shiny objects are cooler than the useful ones (that means
that perhaps the new shiny aqua effect on a XP or the myths about "u'll gonna
die and drop death again" if u use Windows). Perhaps it will be cool to
include a PostNuke, but "adapted" to our "special" needs.
Also something for law students MUST be developed, so that way, when they
(actually we ;-) became lawyers, they will continue "with the brand". Perhaps
if we battle in this field we could obtain a bigger share segment of users.
And how do we give publicity to this? Through the "open source movement", in
each law collage must be one that digs this philosophy: well, that one could
fix some posters of a possible LEGAL-LUG: we need some kind of organization,
in order to achieve "bigger things" later.
The fact of this concept I develope is that I'm very worried about the
operatibility in several OS, so u can give the final user the CHOICE. And
what better option than something "webased". Well, perhaps this is becouse my
knowledge, that is restricted to "web related stuff", but I think that in a
not-so-far future, most of the daily work must be handle through the
internet. So if there's certaily a demand for something, we need to provide
them the product. Also, most of the legal software's arround (at least the
ones from here) are like "glorified MSAccess" with rigid structures (and of
course, with NO ACCESS to the sources) But now even the most stupid squid in
the sea uses the net, so there's a segment something.
Therefore, as far as I don't use use Windows, I'm worried about the 98% of the
market. Let's face that most "as if" solutions are developed to the
small-medium sized fellows; and that the big players develope their own
stuff. And as far as I don't have any number, I convinced that most lawyers
in the first segment have a MSFT OS on their PC's in most of the cases. They
are attached to their soft, and if we don't do something that through an easy
GUI they could change (i.e. they could change the ammount of time that some
paper's preclution have due a new legislation; or allowing that any dude that
cames from a country without "procedures reminders support" could add these
"proceses" reminders in a snap) So this way, u could offer a "vision" of what
they are loosing if they don't use Linux... and in this point the Debian-Lex
distro appears with all the flashy things that we know that Linux could do.
We need A LOT of screencaptures, so people could see BEYOND the letters that
a techie could type the "POWER". Well, I could do a neat website, and try to
work out some translations. Well, I think this is enough for now :) Cheers,
Gabriel.
Ps: Could u attach or let me know "somewhere" to find an installable version
of the Mozart, becouse I only could use the online one, I have "issues" with
the sourceforge packages (for the first time!)
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