Mad idea about an ASF online bookstore

[Jacopo Cappellato]

Hi all,

while browsing the Apache Software Foundation resources I've found this:

http://opensource.atlassian.com/confluence/oss/display/BOOKS/Home

It is an attempt to setup an online bookstore for books about Apache
projects: it is implemented as a Confluence site the actual purchase is
done thru an external link to online retailers. (ASF gets a commission
from the retailers over the books sold with this channel).

Wouldn't be nice to setup a full featured online bookstore with OFBiz
for the ASF?

It would help promote/improve OFBiz within the ASF and it would be
beneficial to the ASF business too.

What do you think?

Jacopo

[Jacques Le Roux]

A very good mad idea indeed ! I will be happy to help.... but not before...Spring !

Jacques

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jacopo Cappellato" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 6:32 PM
Subject: Mad idea about an ASF online bookstore

> Hi all,
>
> while browsing the Apache Software Foundation resources I've found this:
>
> http://opensource.atlassian.com/confluence/oss/display/BOOKS/Home
>
> It is an attempt to setup an online bookstore for books about Apache
> projects: it is implemented as a Confluence site the actual purchase is
> done thru an external link to online retailers. (ASF gets a commission
> from the retailers over the books sold with this channel).
>
> Wouldn't be nice to setup a full featured online bookstore with OFBiz
> for the ASF?
>
> It would help promote/improve OFBiz within the ASF and it would be
> beneficial to the ASF business too.
>
> What do you think?
>
> Jacopo

[Ean Schuessler]

On Thursday 28 December 2006 11:32, Jacopo Cappellato wrote:

> while browsing the Apache Software Foundation resources I've found this:
>
> http://opensource.atlassian.com/confluence/oss/display/BOOKS/Home
>
> It is an attempt to setup an online bookstore for books about Apache
> projects: it is implemented as a Confluence site the actual purchase is
> done thru an external link to online retailers. (ASF gets a commission
> from the retailers over the books sold with this channel).
>
> Wouldn't be nice to setup a full featured online bookstore with OFBiz
> for the ASF?
>
> It would help promote/improve OFBiz within the ASF and it would be
> beneficial to the ASF business too.
>
> What do you think?

Brainfood can help with the art.

--
Ean Schuessler, CTO
[hidden email]
214-720-0700 x 315
Brainfood, Inc.
http://www.brainfood.com

[David Welton-2]

On 12/28/06, Jacopo Cappellato <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> while browsing the Apache Software Foundation resources I've found this:
>
> http://opensource.atlassian.com/confluence/oss/display/BOOKS/Home
>
> It is an attempt to setup an online bookstore for books about Apache
> projects: it is implemented as a Confluence site the actual purchase is
> done thru an external link to online retailers. (ASF gets a commission
> from the retailers over the books sold with this channel).
>
> Wouldn't be nice to setup a full featured online bookstore with OFBiz
> for the ASF?
>
> It would help promote/improve OFBiz within the ASF and it would be
> beneficial to the ASF business too.
>
> What do you think?

*I* think it's an interesting idea indeed, something that I might even
be able to help out with just a bit.  I've CC'ed the public relations
group at Apache, which is in some way related to the fundraising
efforts, and is also followed by some people who know a thing or two
about what this might mean in terms of the ASF's non-profit status in
the US.

Of course, if it's not ok to do as part of the ASF, it could always be
a side project hosted somewhere else.

--
David N. Welton
 - http://www.dedasys.com/davidw/

Linux, Open Source Consulting
 - http://www.dedasys.com/

[Justin Erenkrantz]

On 12/28/06, David Welton <[hidden email]> wrote:

> On 12/28/06, Jacopo Cappellato <[hidden email]> wrote:
> > Hi all,
> >
> > while browsing the Apache Software Foundation resources I've found this:
> >
> > http://opensource.atlassian.com/confluence/oss/display/BOOKS/Home
> >
> > It is an attempt to setup an online bookstore for books about Apache
> > projects: it is implemented as a Confluence site the actual purchase is
> > done thru an external link to online retailers. (ASF gets a commission
> > from the retailers over the books sold with this channel).
> >
> > Wouldn't be nice to setup a full featured online bookstore with OFBiz
> > for the ASF?
> >
> > It would help promote/improve OFBiz within the ASF and it would be
> > beneficial to the ASF business too.
> >
> > What do you think?
>
> *I* think it's an interesting idea indeed, something that I might even
> be able to help out with just a bit.  I've CC'ed the public relations
> group at Apache, which is in some way related to the fundraising
> efforts, and is also followed by some people who know a thing or two
> about what this might mean in terms of the ASF's non-profit status in
> the US.
>
> Of course, if it's not ok to do as part of the ASF, it could always be
> a side project hosted somewhere else.

Ted Husted's the one who setup the initial bookstore.  It does seem
like folks have corrupted the wiki - it points at 'Louis L'amour
Httpd'.  Ugh.

If you look closely, anyone can generate the referral links to
Amazon/B&N/Booksense/Powell's.  So, if you're interested, I'd suggest
mocking up a site built around OFBiz for review.  I'd be curious to
see what comes out of it.

Our requirements are that folks can 'easily' add books to the list, we
won't host the service ourselves, and that a selection of bookstores
be offered (i.e. the four we have is fine; but it can't be, say, just
Amazon).

I'm sure that if it looks good and is better than what we have now, we
can coordinate with Ted to have apachebookstore.com point at it.

I hope this helps.  -- justin

[David E Jones-2]

On Dec 28, 2006, at 10:07 PM, Justin Erenkrantz wrote:

> On 12/28/06, David Welton <[hidden email]> wrote:
>> On 12/28/06, Jacopo Cappellato <[hidden email]> wrote:
>> > Hi all,
>> >
>> > while browsing the Apache Software Foundation resources I've  
>> found this:
>> >
>> > http://opensource.atlassian.com/confluence/oss/display/BOOKS/Home
>> >
>> > It is an attempt to setup an online bookstore for books about  
>> Apache
>> > projects: it is implemented as a Confluence site the actual  
>> purchase is
>> > done thru an external link to online retailers. (ASF gets a  
>> commission
>> > from the retailers over the books sold with this channel).
>> >
>> > Wouldn't be nice to setup a full featured online bookstore with  
>> OFBiz
>> > for the ASF?
>> >
>> > It would help promote/improve OFBiz within the ASF and it would be
>> > beneficial to the ASF business too.
>> >
>> > What do you think?
>>
>> *I* think it's an interesting idea indeed, something that I might  
>> even
>> be able to help out with just a bit.  I've CC'ed the public relations
>> group at Apache, which is in some way related to the fundraising
>> efforts, and is also followed by some people who know a thing or two
>> about what this might mean in terms of the ASF's non-profit status in
>> the US.
>>
>> Of course, if it's not ok to do as part of the ASF, it could  
>> always be
>> a side project hosted somewhere else.
>
> Ted Husted's the one who setup the initial bookstore.  It does seem
> like folks have corrupted the wiki - it points at 'Louis L'amour
> Httpd'.  Ugh.
>
> If you look closely, anyone can generate the referral links to
> Amazon/B&N/Booksense/Powell's.  So, if you're interested, I'd suggest
> mocking up a site built around OFBiz for review.  I'd be curious to
> see what comes out of it.
>
> Our requirements are that folks can 'easily' add books to the list, we
> won't host the service ourselves, and that a selection of bookstores
> be offered (i.e. the four we have is fine; but it can't be, say, just
> Amazon).
>
> I'm sure that if it looks good and is better than what we have now, we
> can coordinate with Ted to have apachebookstore.com point at it.
>
> I hope this helps.  -- justin

Whatever happens with this I'm glad it was brought up as we have some  
book recommendations on the Docs & Books page of the ofbiz site that  
were pointed to an account that's been around for years and Andy  
Zeneski and I split the funds from. This really should have been  
changed a while back, but at least it's changed now to point to the  
ASF amazon account, and we could change it to point to other book  
stores as well. This usually nets about $400 a year and we just used  
that to help fund (a little at least...) the ofbiz infrastructure.

Anyway, I guess the main benefit of having it run on OFBiz would be  
to use the fancy searching and browsing features in OFBiz and a  
better look and feel. We could also do things like shopping lists  
still, but just change the shopping cart to link to various book  
stores instead of going to a check out process, or something like that.

It would be a bit of work to design and administer, but Brainfood has  
shown interest and I'm sure Hotwax would get involved as well to help  
out, especially if there was credit given for the work invested in  
it. I bet we could even get it hosted somewhere also in exchange for  
credit given to one or more parties pitching in on that.

Based on your comments Justin it sounds like the next step would be  
to organize something among the OFBiz community and get a demo put  
together somewhere, and then come back to the PRC team to review it  
and decide how to move forward.

-David

[Justin Erenkrantz]

On 12/28/06, David E Jones <[hidden email]> wrote:
> Based on your comments Justin it sounds like the next step would be
> to organize something among the OFBiz community and get a demo put
> together somewhere, and then come back to the PRC team to review it
> and decide how to move forward.

Yup.

Thanks.  -- justin