[Koha] Re: Koha

[Rachel Hamilton-Williams]

HI Rob - Rosalie passed your message on to me

"Open Source" is a particluar type of free software. The speach on the 
website (as all public speaches are) is perhaps a little simplistic.

Open Source software means that you give away the source code to the 
software -  uncompiled. I don't think that's what you do is it?  I liken it to the 
difference between giving away a cake (free software) and giving away the 
recipie to make the cake (open source software).

It means that any other person could take our source code, make changes 
too it, and then give it away themselves or even sell it (although there are 
some cavets in our license).

Anyways, I did check very carefully before claiming to be the first "Open 
Source Library Management System" in the world - and as far as I know we 
actually are - but the key thing there is open source - not free, I certainly 
wouldn't claim that at all!

I hope that clears up the misunderstanding. 

I do think it's great that you're giving away your software for free, so I hope 
it's all going well for you

Cheers
Rachel


> If that is that so, then I think your claim of a world first is a bit
> ambititious. 

I think that my statement is probably a bit ambiguos - trying not to be too 
wordy and took a few to many out perhaps, always tricky when it's got a 
mixed audience :-)


> I heard that you had thousands of downloads. We stopped counting the
> downloads for two reasons, 1) there were heaps, 2) it is available on
> a number of servers around the world where we can't track downloads.

That sounds great for you.  We were pretty chuffed at our number of 
downloads in such a short time (that was in the first month or so)

> At least it is nice to know that he first 2 "open" and free library
> programs available on the 'net both came from New Zealand!

There is greenstone too which is an open source digital library system - 
www.nzdl.co.nz

> Would you like me to put a link to your page on our Athenaeum Light
> page? I believe that we should make it easy for users to find the free
> software.

That would be fabulous thank you - your software seems aimed at school 
libraries whereas ours is more public libraries - so  that would seem a nice 
synergy.  We are still really sorting out the Koha site, but I'm sure that over 
the christmas holidays I'll do a bit more work on it and can return the favour.

Cheers
Rachel
_____________________________________________________________

Rachel Hamilton-Williams             Katipo Communications            
WEBMISTRESS                          ph  025 300 825 or +64 04 389 1285 
mailto:rachel at katipo.co.nz           PO Box 7039, Wellington
http://www.katipo.co.nz              New Zealand