[okfn-discuss] co-ment text annotation and commenting system

Tue Feb 5 17:17:57 UTC 2008

Philippe Aigrain wrote:
> About a year ago, there were a few posts on this list on text annotation 
> systems. We have developed an entirely new system whose client commenting 
> interface is inspired from the STET system used for the GPLv3 revision, but 
> with a much extended overall functionality :
> - the system provides a full symetrical service : anyone can upload or create  
> texts and manage rights of access and commenting,
> - Comments can be tagged and there are a number of basic workflows for 
> processing them,
> - text versioning is included,
> - exports are in process.
> 
> The code base is licensed under the Affero GPLv3, with a trademark restriction 
> clause (co-ment is a registered trademark that can not be used without 
> authorization). Technology : AJAX + Django + PostgreSQL.

Wow, Phillipe this is amazing -- I'm particularly happy that the code is 
in python.

I'll definitely be checking this out. We developed our original code [1] 
for use on http://demo.openshakespeare.net but have been hampered by the 
performance issues of using js to parse through large texts (e.g. a 
shakespeare play). One way to deal with this (that the author of 
marginalia has explored) is to use xpath locations but that apparently 
does not work on IE. How have you dealt with the performance issues and 
does co-ment work in both IE and Firefox?

[1]: http://knowledgeforge.net/shakespeare/svn/annotater/trunk

> We operate the service at :
> http://www.co-ment.net
> 
> The code is at :
> http://www.sopinspace.com/products/co-ment/en?set_language=en&cl=en

I'll definitely take a look. I'm particular interested by your copyright 
statement:

<quote>
It is to our knowledge one of the first instances of distribution of the 
full code base of a large Web 2.0 application service. In order to 
protect the source code against possible reproprietarization, we need to 
use a license whose copyleft clause is strong enough for guaranteeing 
that any operator of a Web service based on modified code has to 
redistribute the code for the full server and client application under 
the same license. We are making it sure by distributing the code under 
the Affero GPLv3 license. It is forbidden to run a Web service or other 
product or service in the classes and geographical regions covered by 
the co-ment trademark without the trademark owner's authorization. The 
future distribution of the source code will contain a trademark clause 
forbidding the licensee to use the co-ment trademark unless specifically 
authorized by its owner.
</quote>

As you point out pure GPL does not deal with the 'service problem'. In 
this regard I don't know whether you've seen the work we've been doing 
on an Open Service Definition:

   <http://www.opendefinition.org/osd/>

Regards,

Rufus