Open source WO (was: Apple, Microsoft, Java and the Web?)

Hello,

>Different markets.  Microsoft sells a lot into corporations.
> The company I work for does .NET and Java stuff for major financial institutions, who
> only want to invest in a platform if it's backed by Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, etc.
> or in some cases open source tools.  Apple's market is consumers and
"creative professionals," ie: not people who build much custom software.

As you mentioned, people - in the WO traditional target market -
either buy something from Microsoft, IBM, SAP, Oracle, Red Hat  or in
some cases *open source tools*, emphasis added.

Why not simply Open source WebObjects  - and keep strong committers
and some control- since Apple anyway doesn't make money on it and let
the community run with it ?

Apple did so with Webkit and other projects on MacOSForge.org successfully.

I'm going to post about this longer on the Apple mailing list as soon
as the WWDC news are public, but since the discussion was started here
already on WO's future / Apple's commitment...a summary of my
thoughts:

I see the following three scenarios:

Possible Future  1: GOOD, the "WO on MacOSForge.org" future (Open-source)
While this is taking much longer than many expected/hoped for  it
finally happens.
Apple is a strong committer on http://www.macosforge.org/ - as with
WebKit and other projects.

Possible Future 2 : SO-SO "Current state forever"
Apple makes modest updates to WO 5.x as needed, includes some
community code (WONDER etc.), but mainly maintenance on WO itself.
Uncertainty on Apple's future commitment / plans hinder community
expansion and commitment weakens community.
As others mentioned in this thread, the gap to other open source
solutions is narrowing.

Possible Future 3: BAD, the "Hypercard future"
Apple lets WO languish, can't be convinced to make it open source. WO
goes the way of Hypercard (= Vocal Community interested in a superior
product forgotten by Apple).


Marc