Open Source License

Client and server software will be available under an Open Source License. The only question is: which one? There are various possibilities with different implications.

Should it be "infected" by GPL? Pros: changes will be publicly available and it makes the use of GPL code for the project possible. On the other hand, most desired libraries are under LGPL and can be used unmodified anyway. Cons: commercial enterprises might refuse to invest in GPL code to protect their investments. We want commercial use as much as possible. But do we really want commercial applications, which do not feed back their changes?

Should it be under a "free to use" BSD license? Pros: anyone can use it without publishing changes. Commercial applications are possible without restrictions. Cons: we might not get improvements back. This also means that the commercially operated code is not under peer review and thus might be at risk.

What are the licenses of other infrastructure projects, like Apache? Is the Apache License GPL-alike or BSD-alike? The "Derivative Works" in Apache's section 2 sounds more like BSD. Big projects seem to have no problem omitting the "infectious" part of GPLv3 section 5c. For example Hadoop, developed commercially by Yahoo, contributed to the Apache foundation, and used heavily by other companies is under Apache License.

What is your favourite license?

Avatar Display Showcase1: Movement

Have a look at our first little demo. What you see down there is the way we think the avatar display should work with avatar movement.

The user experience is not the final one but all basic issues should be matched.
We worked on how you move your avatar, how the display behaves when you scale the scene, what the display shows when you resize the underlying browser. To try it, download the flash file and open it in a browser.

Other fun issues (like the HeadUpDisplay, avatar interaction and lots more) will follow. But for the time being, just play around with this:

To say it one more time: this is neither the final display, nor the polished version of the avatar movement / stage behaviour. We need more time and your input to get things done.

Pre-FAQ:

• No, there won't be wallpaper on every page you visit, it's just to show the movement.


• No, we don't want to do pixel-art avatars as default.


• The wallpaper was made by squidfingers.

A Module Needs a Name

We are building a modular system. Anything is a module. The configuration database, the protocols, the avatar display, the buddy list, i18n, anything.

But there is one very central module. Some of us call it the "facility manager". It manages URLs, chat rooms, participants in rooms, and it builds a model of the user's presence. Display modules query the "facility manager" and enumerate the data structures of the presence model. The "facility manager" knows who is in which room, it knows what happens in rooms, and it mediates between protocol modules and display modules. The "facility manager" uses protocol modules to enter chat rooms. It gets network events, builds the presence model, and presents it to display modules.

The "facility manager" is the model in MVC. But neither "model" nor "facility manager" are cool names. The thing needs a name. A real name, a cool name. So, that we can talk about the thing. Any ideas?

Open Meeting 3

Locations and displays:

• There will be multiple displays per location. If URLs of 2 browsers point to the same location, then both browsers will have the same display. This means, that multiple "displays" can be attached to a single "location".
• A chat window will be regarded as a "display". As a (positive) side effect, it will be possible to be in a room with only a chat window, but without a browser window.

Browser tabs:

• Browser tabs will keep you entered, but you won't see people since you do not see the web page. A tab change will not leave/enter.
• Only the status will change so, that other people know, that your tab is not active. There will be a special status for "active, but not on this page".

Roadmap timeline:

• The roadmap has been updated with dates for the next milestones. Please see the roadmap page.

Place: Haus 73, Schulterblatt, Hamburg, Germany
Date: 18.06.2009, 13:30

Our shiny new Headquarter

We moved into our new HQ this monday!
From now on the open virtual world project will be developed right from the roof of the "Schanze", a central district of Hamburg, Germany.

The office is on the top floor of an old factory building with lots of space, light and air.

The photo shows the kitchen/conference table and parts of the roof-deck (on the left).

Now the equipment is set up, the keys and passwords had been handed over and we continue work at a gorgeous new office.

we happy.

Platforms

Our Open Virtual World client will be available for Windows and Mac.

The client will be programmed in a platform independent way. It can be ported to other platforms as well. The client will also be available for Linux. But we may need your help to do this as quickly as possible.

Beyond that, the architecture will be documented and libraries will be available, so that anyone can create a similar and compatible program in any programming language.

Protocol

We decided to use existing chat protocols for the Open Virtual World. People who meet on Web pages will actually meet in chat rooms hosted by chat servers.

We will start with XMPP, because it is extensible, modern, and because it gains more and more speed. XMPP is THE open instant messaging and chat protocol.

Later we will add other protocols. We are building an open architecture, that can use different protocols. XMPP ist the first. But IRC and others will follow. It is not really important which protocol people use to meet. The important point is, that they meet on the Web.

Why don't we create our own protocol? We have very much experience with chat and communication systems. We know that features of chat systems map nicely on the Open Virtual World. There are already well known protocols with all the features we need. There are client and server coponents. Even more important, there are people with know how. People, who already run chat servers. People, who know how to program additional components.

We need these people. We need YOU to make the Open Virtual World as rich as the Web.