Hi Vig, Interesting questions and probably things that are important if you are going to have one product as your mainstay.
It's probably worth pointing out that most existing open source software is really strictly COTS, as it is licensed to the public. The fact there is a licence applied to the software and it's use defines Courselab as COTS not it's development or retail model.
Of course you might choose to use another product probably fully commercial (and expensive)but there is no guarantee of that companys or it's products long or short term stability. Commercially you balance and spread your risks.
Import export is always a problem, the main office packages by M$ have problems importing old versions of documents into newer packages. I don't see the world up in arms because Write V1 files won't import into Vista Write on SP1. Any one maintaining such old files will have a working archive strategy that should cope with change. Change after all is probably the only real constant in our lives!
As with virtually any software package you don't know the answers, you make your best calculated guess and go forwards based on that.
IMHO If you are building a business then it would be unwise to base it solely on one product or one technology.
Personally I make some learning modules as a sideline to my 'for profit' hobby of web design and contracted site coding. I use course lab as it works very well and is pleasant to use, however I could survive it's instant disappearance by switching to PHP/JS & HTML, Flash, LUA or other technologies that I also use. In the worst case scenario I could code all of these using Notepad or Memacs if the RAD's I used also disappeared.
However my best guess is that Courselab will be around and improving for some time. It's probably going to end up as one of the global top five or ten packages in it's class as an elearning RAD.
If you have ideas for extensions or development then there is a wish list submission, tell the dev team they do listen to what is said and asked.
Nick
Hi Vig, Interesting questions and probably things that are important if you are going to have one product as your mainstay.
It's probably worth pointing out that most existing open source software is really strictly COTS, as it is licensed to the public. The fact there is a licence applied to the software and it's use defines Courselab as COTS not it's development or retail model.
Of course you might choose to use another product probably fully commercial (and expensive)but there is no guarantee of that companys or it's products long or short term stability. Commercially you balance and spread your risks.
Import export is always a problem, the main office packages by M$ have problems importing old versions of documents into newer packages. I don't see the world up in arms because Write V1 files won't import into Vista Write on SP1. Any one maintaining such old files will have a working archive strategy that should cope with change. Change after all is probably the only real constant in our lives!
As with virtually any software package you don't know the answers, you make your best calculated guess and go forwards based on that.
IMHO If you are building a business then it would be unwise to base it solely on one product or one technology.
Personally I make some learning modules as a sideline to my 'for profit' hobby of web design and contracted site coding. I use course lab as it works very well and is pleasant to use, however I could survive it's instant disappearance by switching to PHP/JS & HTML, Flash, LUA or other technologies that I also use. In the worst case scenario I could code all of these using Notepad or Memacs if the RAD's I used also disappeared.
However my best guess is that Courselab will be around and improving for some time. It's probably going to end up as one of the global top five or ten packages in it's class as an elearning RAD.
If you have ideas for extensions or development then there is a wish list submission, tell the dev team they do listen to what is said and asked.
Nick
