For the past couple of months I have been away from the SDN community.I also have not been involved in any PHP/SAP projects for a few months either. I'm currently doing work for a online marketing company which are using Linux,PHP and other Open Source tools in a big way, it's quite challenging. They are very fast paced and quite demanding. This has been my main reason for distraction.
I'm still looking to develop a number of ideas I have with the combination of PHP and SAP. SAP Information portal in PHP. I have read a few blogs over the past few days which has increased my desire to complete some of my ideas. In particular I have been reading about SAP's(Shai aggasi's) stance and view of Open Source in general. I'm sure you would have all seen it by now so I will not bore you all with the details again.My view of Open Source is not just about using software for free, it's also about being free to use it. Both closed source and Open Source can provide clear benefits
I did not quite understand why SAP were interested in PHP, however I do now. PHP and it's advocates are one among many of the smaller Open Source ships helping propel the vast cruiser of SAP. SAP is still in the product in the middle,wearing its protective "IP" cage, integrated via sanctioned port holes. This is not a bad mode of operation, it's just not the only one. This does not mean that Open Source is a bad model to follow , or that it will never show innovation or create robust applications.
I would like to continue to help show how people can innovate by using Open Source software in general, not just with SAP. By some of the comments I have seen in reaction to Shai's statements, I can see that they feel they same as me. Some good things are occurring, Craig Cmehil has joined SAP as a SDN Community Evangelist, he has also released a book Shameless Plug: The SAP Developer's Guide to PHP ( Note to craig, could you do a SAP for PHP developers.. That would be cool) referance book. He has also announced an Open Source project to enhance the SDN weblog software.
This all sounds like innovation to me
