[okfn-discuss] Wikipedia as SaaS by the OSSD?

Wed Dec 19 08:48:20 UTC 2012

Hi all,

(Let me know if this is not the right place to discuss this.)

Wikipedia is mentioned as web service matching the Open Software
Service Definition -- it's actually the only example of an OSS.

Given the broad definition of the OSSD, this is correct... but a
bit counterintuitive IMHO.

1) This broad definition does not match that of the FSF:

   http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html

    "Software as a Service (SaaS) means that someone sets up a network
    server that does certain computing tasks—running spreadsheets, word
    processing, translating text into another language, etc."

    Note that the central notion here is "computing tasks".  If there is
    no computing (that you would normally do on your computer) then this
    is not SaaS by the FSF definition.

2) If opendefinition sticks to this broad definition, maybe OD could add
   another more intuitive example such as Kune?

   http://kune.ourproject.org/faq/

   Kune is using the (now free) Wave protocol to implement an interface
   similar to the not-yet-free rizzoma.com and AFAIK matches OSSD.

What do you think?

-- 
 Bastien