12.27.13

Free/Open Source Software Takes Over the Web at All Levels

Posted in Free/Libre Software, GPL at 4:46 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: The role played by Free/Open Source software (FOSS) is increasing on the Web, owing to a large degree to growing CMS communities (tens of thousands of developers) that appreciate the GPL

IT IS gratifying to see how the World Wide Web becomes GNU/Linux-dominated also and Free software-dominated, owing to migrations to FOSS CMS options. A recent example is LinuxDevices, which was converted from a proprietary CMS to WordPress and then put under LinuxGizmos.

CMS Wire recently published a January 2014 overview of new Free/Open Source CMS options and releases [1]. CMS Observer published “Best Free Social Network Software” [2]. It’s clear that FOSS has grown dominant in many of these areas that involve Web sites, rising from the bottom of the stack (GNU/Linux) to databases, programming languages, and even the programs themselves. WordPress 3.8 was recently released (with an unfortunate back door) [3,4], affecting many millions of Web sites. WordPress updates too quickly, alleges FOSS Force [5], but at least it’s a sign of this project’s health. It’s exceptionally active and development is rapid. As we are already running some Drupal 7 sites (Tux Machines uses Drupal) we are planning to move away from WordPress some time in the foreseeable future, perhaps when Drupal 8, which is going to come out in 2014 [6], is finally reaching stability. Drupal, having gained ground in US Federal government [7] and large corporations like HP [8], is probably one of the best success stories of the GPL (Apache is not GPL and Linux is still GPLv2, just like Drupal at GPLv2 or later). Apart from the leading duo, WordPress and Drupal, there’s also Joomla [9] and Pi Engine [10], among many other options. It is extremely improbably that proprietary CMS options will ever make a comeback. Some of them (like TypePad) already try to turn free/libre in a desperate attempt to stay relevant. █

Related/contextual items from the news:

What’s New in January 2014 for Open-Source CMS
Best Free Social Network Software
WordPress 3.8 Content Management Platform Gets a New Look

The new release of the widely deployed open-source content management system platform includes more than 600 different changes and bug fixes.
WordPress 3.8 “Parker” Available For Download

WordPress has been released version 3.8 “Parker” named in honor of Charlie Parker, bebop innovator. The company claims it features a modern new design and most beautiful update yet.
WordPress – Too Fast For Comfort
Drupal 8 to take open source CMS ‘to the next level’
Drupal shop in the DC area makes technology work for the unemployed

When the US Federal government shutdown from October 1 – 16 this year, a small Drupal shop in the Washington DC area turned a list of freelance gigs for furloughed employees in a Google doc into a website in five hours. Unfurlough.us went live at 1:00 am EST on October 4, accumulating 50,000 page views in a little over a week.
HP Launches Portal to Sell Its Software Online

HP leveraged third-party software to build the Pronq site. Pronq is using the open-source Drupal, a widely deployed content management system that is also used by the White House and the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as the front-end technology.
The Joomla Project Announced Joomla Framework 1.0

The Joomla community announced Joomla Framework 1.0, making a major step forward for the Joomla project.
Pi Engine v2.3.0 Release

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