This vote will run until Monday, Dec. 3, 2007.

[ ] +1 Accept Shindig for incubation [ ] 0 Don't care [ ] -1 Reject for the following reason :

-------- = Abstract =

Shindig will develop a container and backend server components for hosting OpenSocial applications.

= Proposal =

Shindig will develop a JavaScript container and implementations of the backend APIs and proxy required for hosting OpenSocial applications.

= Background =

OpenSocial provides a common set of APIs for social applications across multiple websites. With standard JavaScript and HTML, developers can create social applications that use a social network's friends and update feeds.

A social application, in this context, is an application run by a third party provider and embedded in a web page, or web application, which consumes services provided by the container and by the application host. This is very similar to Portal/Portlet technology, but is based on client-side compositing, rather than server.

More information can be found about OpenSocial at http://code.google.com/apis/opensocial/

== Rationale ==

Shindig will provide implementations of an emerging set of APIs for client-side composited web applications. The Apache Software Foundation has proven to have developed a strong system and set of mores for building community-centric, open standards based systems with a wide variety of participants.

A robust, community-developed implementation of these APIs will encourage compatibility between service providers, ensure an excellent implementation is available to everyone, and enable faster and easier application development for users.

The Apache Software Foundation has proven it is the best place for this type of open development.

The Shindig OpenSocial implementation will be able to serve as a reference implementation of the standard.

= Current Status =

This is a new project.

= Meritocracy =

The initial developers are very familiar with meritocratic open source development, both at Apache and elsewhere. Apache was chosen specifically because the initial developers want to encourage this style of development for the project.

=== Community ===

Shindig seeks to develop developer and user communities during incubation.

= Core Developers =

The initial set of committers includes folks from several commercial OpenSocial container providers, including Ning, Google, Hi5, and MySpace. We have varying degrees of experience with Apache-style open source development, ranging from none to ASF Members.

= Alignment =

The developers of Shindig want to work with the Apache Software Foundation specifically because Apache has proven to provide a strong foundation and set of practices for developing standards-based infrastructure and server components.

= Known Risks =

== Orphaned products ==

Shindig is new development of an emerging set of APIs.

== Inexperience with Open Source ==

The initial developers include long-time open source developers, including Apache Members.

== Homogenous Developers ==

The initial set of developers is diverse, but are all employed by OpenSocial container providers. Building a more diverse developer community is a high priority for this project.

== Reliance on Salaried Developers ==

The initial group of developers are all employed by potential consumers of the project. Remedying this is a large part of why we want to bring the project to Apache.

== Relationships with Other Apache Products ==

None in particular.

== A Excessive Fascination with the Apache Brand ==

We believe in the processes, systems, and framework Apache has put in place. The brand is nice, but is not why we wish to come to Apache.

= Documentation =

Google's OpenSocial Documentation: http://code.google.com/apis/opensocial/

Ning's OpenSocial Documentation: http://tinyurl.com/3y5ckx

= Initial Source =

The initial source will consist of the Javascript container and a Java based backend providing services to the container. The source is being contributed by Google, and will be by a code grant.

= External Dependencies =

The initial code relies on PHP and the jQuery library.

= Required Resources =

Developer and user mailing lists

A subversion repository

A JIRA issue tracker

= Initial Committers =

Andy Smith (Google) Brian McCallister (Ning) Brian Stoler (Google) Cassie Doll (Google) Dan Bentley (Google) Dan Farino (MySpace) David Glazer (Google) David Harkness (Google) David Sklar (Ning) Doug Coker (Google) Evan Gilbert (Google) Graham Spencer (Google) Jeffrey Regan (Google) John Hjelmstad (Google) John Panzer (Google) Jun Yang (Google) Jussi Myllymaki (Google) Kevin Brown (Google) Martin Traverso (Ning) Paul Lindner (Hi5) Ramkumar Ramani (Google) Thomas Baker (Ning) Thomas Dudziak (Ning) Tim Williamson (Ning) Zhen Wang (Google)

= Sponsors =

== Champion ==

Brian McCallister

== Nominated Mentors ==

Thomas Dudziak Brian Fitzpatrick Santiago Gala Greg Stein Upayavira Sylvain Wallez

== Sponsoring Entity ==

The Apache Incubator.