Cmaps API wanted, better OpenSource

Have new ideas for the next release of IHMC CmapTools and IHMC CmapServer?
We welcome your suggestions and we will carefully consider whether to incorporate them into the software.
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fridemar
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Cmaps API wanted, better OpenSource

Post by fridemar »

Dear deciders, developers, evangelists of IHMC,

Cmaps can accelerate the evolution of Web2.0 considerably, proportional to its use. To really open up its full potential, it needs massive collaboration of users and developers.
Even if IHMC would pay a hundred programmers to advance it, this is nothing compared to zillions of OpenSource programmers, that could foster this marvel.

As minimum requirement for living, growing software, we expect an API. Even conservative software companies of the old economy as Microsoft, Adobe, Apple offer such extension options to its developer community.
If you prefer the style of a more progressive company, representing the new economy (WikiNomics) such as Google, then OpenSourcing would give Cmaps even more drive.

Imagine 3D conceptmapping with

* total immersion into VirtualReality
* Mathbrowsers with built-in inference-machines
* IDE with built in UML, interpreters, compiler, debuggers for programmers (even using Cmaps as its own development system)
* Debating tools for E-Democracy
* ... etc. etc


Of course these are the personal opinions of the poster. However this view is backed by experience and the following literature:

* Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World, Don Tapscott (the author of WikiNomics), 2009
* Web 2.0 A Strategy Guide: Business thinking and strategies behind successful Web 2.0 implementations, Amy Shuen, 2008
* ... many others
Let's FosterEachOther ( <- Google )
-- Fridemar
rcarvajal
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Re: Cmaps API wanted, better OpenSource

Post by rcarvajal »

@fridemar:

We have available a Knowledge Exchange Architecture based on Web Services, Concept Maps and CmapTools. For more information please visit the KEA site.
Rodrigo Carvajal
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fridemar
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Re: Cmaps API wanted, better OpenSource

Post by fridemar »

Thank you Rodrigo,

do I understand it correctly: the openness of Cmaps is based on CML and "everybody" could write a server or a client to implement Cmaps. (I was surprised that even Microsoft presented a client source, which I didn't download/test yet).
This reminds me faintly to the earlier Macromedia's approach to open the swf-format with the consequence that third parties offered rival software (for a fraction of the price as e.g. swf-Quicker) to what is now Adobe Flash Pro.

However my focussing question was motivated by: Why reinvent the wheel, when it is already there.
We all know, each regular language has a corresponding minimal state machine, that recognizes it. But to build such an engine (aka software) it needs a generator and some industrious programmers.

It would be very sad, if creative energies would be wasted to rebuild the software from scratch. A solution, friendlier to mankind, might be at least to offer some Automation-/ Scripting tools, DLLs or whatever or even OpenSource, imho.
I feel, that the people behind IHMC share the same open spirit as the people at MIT who initiated the OLPC project.

On the other hand I read, that CMaps has some patented features, that should be made clear to the public. This would avoid unproductive struggles, that diminish the resources of creative energy, needed to solve the critical problems of the planet.

Anyhow I will do my best to help building the Cmappers community. As next simple step, I'll write a posting, in which I suggest a subforum here, focussed on WhatCanWeDoForEachOther.

Best
Fridemar
Let's FosterEachOther ( <- Google )
-- Fridemar
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