Whether the start-up Internet company is using open source software or developing independently

Introduction: Open source software has a great advantage, this can not be denied, whether technically or product maturity, many open source Web site programs to meet the needs of most users. But for some companies, the process of self-development may be more practical, the starting point is the company's understanding of their own needs.

Undeniably, after several years of painstaking research and development, now many open source software has been very mature, so as a start-up of the Internet companies, we should use open source software or independent development?

I have a friend who is technically born, I made a forum, when finished, found in the online open source dz, feel their own forum is too simple, functional and mature far less than DZ, so very regret, each discussion to the development of the forum to talk about how to do it as well as DZ, To do the forum directly with the open source of DZ, do not own development, waste of time.

This question caused me a long time to think, some time ago, a product friend complained to me, the company in the community, the technology used a set of open source system, on the surface to achieve the basic requirements of the community, the actual operation of the process, but found that with product requirements in the details of the difference is very far, the product side is very depressed, So ran to technology that let technology change, technology but said, this change up laborious, that change takes longer, because of the requirements on the background management and open source products are many different, but also let the editorial managers found that many management functions are not working. Product department depressed in the user experience, feel the community's large functional modules between the mosaic of things formed an island, even in the UI is very uncomfortable, especially in the face of a large number of primary Internet users. Anyway, a bunch of complaints!

There are product managers told me that their own development forum is a fool, online 99% forums are open source, do not need the function to close it. Even do the product all say so, I also quite have no language. I would like to start from the popular community, on the development or use of open source software to make the following points, I hope that the products are not hesitate to enlighten, we discuss together.

First of all, the main models of the community of the Internet today (where the general population refers to a relatively broad coverage) are simply forums, SNS, Group, Forum is the topic of the center, SNS is the interaction between people as the center, groups with interest or a common need for the center, to converge users, Now as long as the company to do well, basically the previous three forms involved at least two, many three are involved, but the form of interaction, the core point is different. If the use of open source, to Coors series of products to combine, I believe that 2-3 months can be online, as our product manager, can really relax a lot, even if there are many details, but also a modification, to consider the problem, far less than their own to study the design. The success of such a product depends on your resources, operations, marketing, business team is enough cattle. But how many community-type communities are built on Open-source software? In the past few years relatively good several popular types of community: watercress, 51, happy, school and so on, whether it is a hobby or friends or even life. It seems that they are all developing themselves.

Second, the function is not the more comprehensive the better, DZ Forum is very powerful, what functions have, uchome is still strong enough, what have, we make a point of choice, design the following UI, slightly adjust the interaction, soon on-line, then this is not it? Look at the industry, does not belong to the popular forum, involving a lot of user rights and virtual value accumulation of the interaction, use DZ, I feel very good, very powerful, can be popular forum does not need to be so complex, in the face of ordinary users, the more open the better, such a forum need to use strong If you need a clean, simple (including the front of the background and Code) forum, is not to DZ do program-side subtraction? If you have developed a SNS, with DZ forum to get through, from the user data, function to do how much work? I do not know dz, or is understanding, dare not jump to conclusions, but I think change a set of ready-made things, especially involved in the process, not so simple.

Again, let me give you an example of a friend who has a company of his own. In the community to choose the use of JSP development, because only 5 developers, taking into account the time cost, the choice of a set of foreign open source program, the results of light research This set of procedures for three months, of course, do not think that these 5 people are not strong, It's the perfection of my friend's pursuit of detail in every function, therefore, the choice of open source, but the study of the program took three months, when 5 programmers thoroughly understanding each line of code, the whole set of procedures can be said to use, the follow-up development and lasted 4-5 months before the completion of the first phase of the product. From this example, I would like to raise a question, how many companies using Open-source programs to study the open source program they use? Or just to change a piece of skin, for the purpose of familiarity with a little bit. If you do not understand, can change to what kind of depth, I hold the view.

In fact, what I call the independent development or the use of open source mainly for the start-up of small and medium-sized companies, such a company to consider the time, money, human resources and many other issues, as a product manager is not only to design products, but also with technical communication, to ensure that the product smoothly online, product happiness is hard, and even a lot of labor is invisible, But as a product manager, I think the responsibility is the first, you converge on the company's strategy, market, research and development, operations and other departments, sometimes the argument may be futile, since there is a product manager of the section, I will do a discussion, I hope that colleagues do not hesitate to enlighten, on this issue can not be denied, After several years of painstaking research and development, now many open source software has been very mature, so as a start-up of the Internet companies, we should use open source software or independent development?