DotNetNuke: Microsoft's turning point on open source

Thanks to a link from Dan Bricklin, I'm reading the amazing tale of DotNetNuke, an open source portal creation project created by Shaun Walker, that runs on top of Microsoft technologies such as ASP.NET. At one point in early 2003, the developer incurred the wrath of the Microsoft community by trying to switch from free distribution to a software subscription model. What transpired next (see page 9 of this book excerpt) surely was the turning point in Microsoft's embrace* of open source.

"Still trying to recover from the damage I had incurred, I received an e-mail from none other than Scott Guthrie (co-founder of the Microsoft ASP.Net Team), asking me to reexamine my decision on the subscription model and making suggestions on how the project could continue as a free, open source venture. It seemed that Microsoft was protective of its evolving community and did not want to see the progress in this area splinter and dissolve just as it seemed to be gaining momentum."

The next time a Shaun Walker appears, will Microsoft do more than let them struggle for months and finally kick in some token support and recognize them with an MVP award? Maybe. But in my opinion, even Walker hasn't continued to be recognized for his importance in the changing way software is getting developed on Microsoft platforms. Although Walker is attending PDC, according to the OPML-based attendee list, he's not speaking unless it's at a BoF. That's too bad. His experiences integrating open source into a Microsoft world are something every Microsoft developer should hear about first-hand.

For now, there are these DotNetRocks interviews with Walker and fellow DotNetNuke developer Jim Duffy. I wonder why the success of DotNetNukes apparently has never prompted a comment from Jason Matusow or Robert Scoble?

*Normally, when Microsoft "embraces" a technology, they throw big bucks at it. This is the first instance on record where the initial "embrace" was not a monetary offer, but a plea for someone else holding intellectual property to continue with a particular software distribution methodology. Although I suppose there are earlier examples involving standards instead of source code.

UPDATE: After arriving at the PDC, I was able to locate the DotNetNuke BoF. It's tonight from 9:00 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. in Room 511A at the Los Angeles Convention Center. You must have a PDC registration badge to get in.

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