Mailing-List: contact derby-dev-help@db.apache.org; run by ezmlm
Precedence: bulk
Reply-To: <derby-dev@db.apache.org>
Received-SPF: pass (herse.apache.org: domain of jta@bristowhill.com designates
 66.75.162.135 as permitted sender)
Message-ID: <45F846C9.1030901@bristowhill.com>
Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2007 12:02:33 -0700
From: "Jean T. Anderson" <jta@bristowhill.com>
Reply-To: jta@bristowhill.com
User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0.7-1.1.fc3 (X11/20050929)
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: derby-dev@db.apache.org
Subject: Re: [jira] Commented: (DERBY-2390) DOCS - Merge Working with Derby
 and Getting Started Guide
References: <2619105.1173800409826.JavaMail.jira@brutus>
 <x1oxtzwok6wt.fsf@sun.com> <45F844AF.30505@Sun.COM>
In-Reply-To: <45F844AF.30505@Sun.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

Kim Haase wrote:
> Good question, Dag. I think that distinction is indeed common in the
> software business, actually. We use the verb "productize" (which makes
> me shudder) to describe taking an open-source project and providing
> marketing, support, and so on. So Java DB and Cloudscape would
> ordinarily be considered products, while Derby would not.
> 
> However, I notice that the term "product" occurs from time to time
> within the Derby docs -- so I'm undoubtedly being too fussy about this.

I did a google search for "open source product" and the second hit was
"2006 Open Source Product of the Year":

http://www.developer.com/open/article.php/3578451

A google search for "product site:apache.org" also shows other projects
using "product", for example "This is first official release of the
Jakarta BSF product from Apache Software Foundation." in this page:

http://jakarta.apache.org/site/news/news-2006-q4.html

personally, I wouldn't lose any sleep over using the word "product" to
refer to what an open source project releases.

 -jean

> Kim
> 
> Dag H. Wanvik wrote:
> 
>> "Kim Haase (JIRA)" <jira@apache.org> writes:
>>
>>> Kim Haase commented on DERBY-2390:
>>> ----------------------------------
>>> On rgsdocs17307.html -- just a few things:
>>>
>>> I'm glad you caught the problem with the term "library. I don't
>>> think Derby is technically a product, which implies something that
>>> is sold; so maybe just "Derby documentation" would be a better
>>> title.
>>
>>
>> This piqued my interest, being a non-native speaker. I was not aware
>> that "product" mainly carries this connotation. I thought a product
>> merely meant something made by a process of some kind, cf. for example
>> this definition - entry #1 - I found on dictionary.com, from American
>> Heritage Dictionary:
>>
>> 1. Something produced by human or mechanical effort or by a natural
>> process.
>>
>> I did also find the meaning "commodities offered for sale", but is the
>> latter meaning so predominant that most readers will assume a software
>> "product" necessarily has a price tag?
>>
>> Dag