Shindig Proposal --

= Abstract =

Shindig will develop the 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 is an implementation 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.

= 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 core developers are all Ning employees. We hope to expand this very quickly.

= 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 group of developers is quite homogenous. Remedying this is a large part of why we want to bring the project to Apache.

== Reliance on Salaried Developers ==

The initial group of developers are employed by a potential consumer 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, except that Apache HTTPD is the best place to run PHP, which the server-side components Ning intends to donate have been implemented in.

== 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 =

Ning, Inc. intends to donate code based on their implementation of OpenSocial. The backend systems will be replaced with more generic equivalents in order to not bind the implementation to specifics of the Ning platform.

This code will be extracted from Ning's internal development, and has not been expanded on past the extraction. It will be provided primarily as a starting place for a much more robust, community- developed implementation.

= External Dependencies =

The initial codebase relies on a library created by Google, Inc., and licensed under the Apache Software License, Version 2.0.

= Required Resources =

Developer and user mailing lists

A subversion repository

A JIRA issue tracker

= Initial Committers =

Thomas Baker <bak...@ninginc.com> Tim Williamson <ti...@ninginc.com> Brian McCallister <bri...@apache.org> Thomas Dudziak <tom...@apache.org> Martin Traverso <mar...@ning.com>

= Sponsors =

== Champion ==

Brian McCallister <bri...@apache.org>

== Nominated Mentors ==

Brian McCallister <bri...@apache.org> Thomas Dudziak <tom...@apache.org> Santiago Gala <sga...@apache.org> Upayavira <upay...@apache.org>

== Sponsoring Entity ==

The Apache Incubator.