Today in FOSS: Blogtorrent/Mobcasting , Disappointment and Content Management Systems

Kicking back with a fresh pot of coffee (I have heard my coffee cups called that), I'm sitting here awash in news that has accumulated while I have been writing, editing and rewriting a report (A report that I am still shortening.)

Mobcasting ++

I think the most interesting thing I have found so far within the FOSS community is a no-cost, open source tool called BlogTorrent (thanks to # Got Root). It's basically Bittorrent for weblogs and websites - enabling easy installation of a tool that allows people to download not just from the server, but also This certainly is a big help for mobcasting, where [P2P] enters the blogosphere. Server load is always an issue, especially if the hosting comes out of your own pocket.

In an odd way, it helps with the Digital Divide as well, with people who have more bandwidth being able to actually help people with less, and helping achieve maximum download speed through multiple people instead of one...slow...server. It wasn't too long ago in Trinidad that I was burning a copper wire in at 9 kb/s with a 56K modem.¹

But, you need a Content Management System, right?

Open Source Content Management System Disappointment

Seth points at two Content Management System (CMS)articles: One in this month's Open Source Journal, and another hidden by Cutter IT Journal. Fences. I don't like fences. Stop sharing bum links, people.

So we really just have one article on Open Source CMS. And that one, for some reason, has a landing page and a javascript popup so I'm still downloading it. Perhaps they should look at Blogtorrent (above). Still, you can find it, but you can't save it and keep it². The Open Source Journal doesn't want anybody... sharing what takes so long to download. This is another example of how Open Source is not Open Content. File that away for future reference.

In the end, even on a 1 megabit connection here in Panama, I couldn't get to the content. But what I can say is that there are many Open Source content management systems that are really good - I use two of them right now - and I'll be writing the articles on them over the next week or so.

Bonus links for geeks and developers: Open Source Content Management (OSCOM), and Seth points to developers maybe making money with Google's Summer of Code and some Open Source Content Management System development.³

Meanwhile, Elsewhere on the web...

• Bob Evansleft some good reading for FOSS advocates, should they decide to read before writing...
• Sink Into the Bottom says Dell would sell OS/X, which isn't a surprise to me. Michael Dell (Dell Computer) would probably sell his ancestors if people would buy them. Sure, Mike, nice servers but give us a Linux option for desktops and laptops. While you're at it, quit making your hardware blow up with standard replacements.
• The benefits of Open Source licenses explained. Again. And Again. Until people understand... And the Return On Investment issue again. When people start to think in terms of *cost* and *value* again, they'll understand.
• Tommy The Robot plays with Linux. Transformer-Linux? Penguin-form!!!
• I'm waiting for my Amida Simputer to get here, so I can play with it.⁴

¹Hopefully I get a chance to try it out within the next week. That would be super-froody, especially with the new site in the pipes. More on that next month. We all have our secrets, don't we?

²Unless you have a brain. There's a way. There is ALWAYS a way.

³In other words, Google is searching for more young top talent. Why else would they do it over the summer?

⁴Oh. And write about it. Details, details, details...

⁵And why am I not writing all of this elsewhere? Because I can't. We all have our secrets.