SitePen compiles all-pro team OSS as a passing of the torch—what
OSS is really all about.
“We put a lot back into the
open-source projects we work on,
COMPANY HAS BUILT A STABLE OF OPEN-SOURCE DEVELOPER TALENT such that it’s almost the easiest
thing to do. If you’re a supervalu-
SAN FRAN- them, and insofar as SitePen is able contributor to one of these
CISCO—When deeply intertwined with a number open-source projects, we’d love
companies such of pretty successful open-source to have you if you play well with
as Adobe, AOL, projects, we wind up as people— others,” Russell said. “It comes
Eye-Fi, JPMor- not as the company, but as individ- down to basic, good community
gan Chase, Sun uals—being incredibly identifiable practice—give more than you take,
Microsystems, inside those communities.” create a lot more value than you
Telelogic and Russell jokingly said that a personally want to siphon off and
even Google want a certain some- unique aspect of open source is make it easy for people.”
thing in their Web applications, that many of those people who Among the open-source projects
they go to SitePen, a Web-appli- work on it have the time because SitePen leads or contributes to
cation development shop that their jobs suck, so it kind of are Dojo, DWR and Cometd. The
provides support, training and turns into this interesting sce- popularity of Dojo attracted invest-consulting. nario where a lot of people who ment and support from organiza-
SitePen has an all-star team of otherwise might not be well con- tions such as IBM, Sun, BEA and
experts in AJAX (Asynchronous nected are very well connected into the Mozilla Foundation.
JavaScript and XML), DHTML these open-source communities Russell said it’s absolutely right
and Web 2.0 technologies. The and want to work that software tool ven-company is a virtual who’s who on something more dors develop products
of AJAX stars, with CEO Dylan interesting. for and sell into the
Schiemann and Alex Russell, “So in a lot of cases, trend of distributed,
director of R&D, as co-creators of it’s just that people collaborative develop-the popular Dojo Toolkit, an AJAX- don’t want to move, ment.
development library. for one,” Russell said. “But let me preface
SitePen also features Joe Walker, “We all want to work everything I’ve said
creator of Direct Web Remoting, with people we know about our model by
also known as DWR—a Java-based we like working with. saying that I think it’s
library for AJAX development—and We volunteer to work SitePen’s Russell says the clearly preferable to have
Kevin Dangoor, the creator of with these people in open-source model has people in an office work-TurboGears, a Python-based Web- our spare time, so helped the company attract ing together. Insofar as
application framework. And that’s why wouldn’t we want plenty of talent. you can do it and still
just a short list of the Web 2.0 name to work with them day to day? It get the right people on the bus, then
brands employed at the company. helps that we pay competitively you should. But when you, for what-
I met with Russell here and and have interesting work.” ever reason, can’t ... we feel that it’s
asked him how a small, distributed I met Russell in April at a Gordon significantly more important to have
operation could attract and main- Biersch Brewery at the corner of the right people. And that’s where
tain so many hot commodities. He Harrison Street and The Embar- we step in,” Russell said.
credited the open-source model. cadero. Listening to Russell’s smart, SitePen is able to be so much
“It’s not like there’s some secret clear-headed thinking on OSS more effective than the teams
to this,” Russell said. “People want (open-source software), I couldn’t the company winds up interfac-to work on things that matter to help but view the SitePen brand of ing with, or [CON TINUED ON PAGE D8]
