I was browsing a few blogs this evening and came across a copycat application of Basecamp (37signals) called activeColab. The application does everything Basecamp does plus a few useless features. After viewing their screencast I quickly became bothered by this application. They made an exact replica of Basecamp using the same features as well as the main design facets. Don’t get me wrong, I am pro opensource. It gives users & potential users an alternative to paying sometimes high prices and allows them the oportunity to customize it to their needs.
I began contemplating what it would be like if someone were to copy an application I built. It is really a compliment to the pioneer company (in this case, 37signals). 37signals captured what many design / development companies require for project collaboration. It’s not a perfect tool, but it covers almost every base (Am I getting somewhere…? Have I figured out what the name means?).
What makes basecamp better than it’s opensource copycat activeColab? Many things ofcourse, but I’ll list a few for effect.
It’s written in Ruby on Rails, which allows for easy feature updates / additions and has a much faster backend than php
They utilize ajax in the most appropriate ways
It is by a company that has a passion to create innovative applications (!important)
It is for the professional that seeks to fulfill their project collaboration needs without worrying about supporting the application
The application is hosted by the developers, without the need for the user to meet hosting requirements
I am not trying to knock activeColab. I am sure their efforts have been found useful for many people out there. In a way, they are no competitor to Basecamp. 37signals seeks an audience that is loyal and doesn’t have time or resources to manage the backend of an application. I am loyal to Basecamp, and will continue to use it for years to come (I imagine). Keep innovating 37signals.
For those looking for an opensource alternative to Basecamp and can meet the requirements activeColab is the right thing for you.
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COMMENTS / 2 COMMENTS
Joe Pringle added these pithy words on May 18 08 at 7:29 pmI understand where the Basecamp folks are coming from with respect to trying to balance the desire from every customer to add specific features or functionality while at the same time preserving simplicity and ease of use. We struggle with the same thing at ProjectSpaces, another
basecamp alternative. We constantly hear from customers who want us to add more features but we often push back a little to keep things as simple and user friendly as possible. Often it’s a matter of meeting an individual customer halfway but making sure you deliver new functionality in a very usable and simple way that serves your entire customer base.
Simon added these pithy words on Jun 04 08 at 2:59 amI think you will find active colabs was on the scene first before basecamp. It was opensource but now it is commercial software.
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