So, you’ve read all the willy-nilly about the new software and wonder what’s in it for you? I’m going to try to answer this straight question. For that I will define several important points about the software:

Core and Plugins

This is an important point. OpenWack is not just a piece of software with a number of features. Actually, it’s less than that – only a skeleton of a site. All the functionality for users is defined by plugins. Plugins will be organized into a searchable and segmentable catalog on the site (and actually other places) and will be installed and updated via the admin panel.

Plugins will not only implement end user features like blogs, forum, and video; they will also change the existing functionality, like applying a spam filter to mailbox, or changing smile-set for user input. Plugins are capable of not only adding new but also correcting the existing functionality.

Loose Coupling

This is the term to describe the relationship between the core and the plugins, and actually between the parts of the core. This is the principle when one system makes little suggestions about the other. In human language it means that plugins will not heavily depend on the platform version. As long as the major version number is the same APIs are not supposed to change. If you wrote a fancy comment system for OpenWack 2.x it should work full-proof until OpenWack 3 is released because the API your plugin uses could have changed if there was necessity.

Your plugin may not know which database provider we use, at the same time it may use direct SQL code if you choose. We do not limit development freedom, we just put the responsibility on the plugin author.

Convention over Configuration

This is an important aspect of software and actually one of the strongest factors for user adoption. For example: In software like SkaDate you can create custom site pages with hierarchy and have menu items tied to documents on many-to-one basis, so you can create as many items (main menu, bottom menu, inventory line) for one document as you want. This is all fine but it needs two complicated interfaces for creating/editing documents and menu items with their own hierarchy.

In OpenWack we decided to dump this many-to-one relationship and replace it with one-to-one simplistic approach when you can have only one menu item for one document. It can be hidden but it exists and is one and only. This simple decision makes the interface of working with navigation much simpler. If this diminishes the flexibility from covering 100% of needs to 80% but raises understanding and easiness for say 60% of site owners instead of earlier 20%.

We are going to pursue trade-offs with this kind of ratio everywhere. Expect several important decisions in that venue throughout the code and plugin architecture. Who cares that Wordpress is so much straightforward procedural business-logic-in-templates piece of software? It compensates that easily with powering up thousands of wonderful blogs that millions of users read daily all over the world. Sure, it’s 2009 and we are not going to lean up to any of the two extremes but we will find any opportunity to make the software usable by mere mortals, you know those who do not wear t-shirts with their favorite IRC channels on them. Without sacrificing best practices of writing software. We have enough experience in community software, so the common pitfalls are well defined at this moment.

In the end of the day your site needs to be easy to understand. You can doubt in our decisions but please remember: you build a site for users not to pet the narcissistic boy in you. A site is only as good as it solves users needs. I’m speaking not only about face features but also about administration and management of the site.

Areas of Use

Since the platform is just an empty site ready for plugin setup so its features are only defined by your needs. This leads to the conclusion that the software can be used in all areas of online communication: social networking, education, business intranet, dating, etc… This is the question of how specific plugins solve specific needs. We are going to maintain the lists of the best community developed plugins for different areas of online interaction and guides on how to better tap into any specific area with OpenWack software.

Licensing

OpenWack is open source. You may use it free for any purposes including commercial without removing credits to the developer, OpenWack team.

WackWall

OpenWack will also have one more incarnation – as the engine for WackWall webservice. In fact, we decided to enter free community building business with WackWall first, and OpenWack in its current vision comes to give WackWall users real freedom and flexibility. Once OpenWack iterates to the same functionality volume as the current WackWall (shortly after launching it as open source software), we will make the grand relaunch. Meet WackWall 2.0.

---

In the conclusion I want to say that we will gradually inform you about the process of development, post screenshots, share our thoughts decisions. At this point we are working heavily and will be ready to show you first betas in summer. Stay tuned and suggest ideas, we are all open to hear.

Thanks,
Emil