Ask HN: Using open source platforms for web app development | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Using open source platforms for web app development

2 pointsABrandt4 comments

For the past couple months, I've been researching and testing platforms such as Drupal and Joomla. These content management systems are very flexible, and seem like an easy way to develop a web app of sorts. Do you think its wise to use open source coding to try and build and market a branded service? In todays market, it is important to keep in mind how easily a competitor could duplicate your offerings. This would seem inevitable with these sort of platforms.

View on HN

I don't think how easily someone can duplicate your site is a reason for concern. If they can duplicate it in a weekend, you probably don't have much of IP value. If the proprietary system makes it easier to develop, then it may be of some value. If it makes it harder to develop, then you have shot yourself in the foot twice.

Someone trying to reverse engineer your site probably wouldn't use anything of yours. They would start fresh with their own set of tools.

I am pretty much biased towards open source, because it's cheaper, evolves faster, and you can mix and match.

Choosing a closed source development platform specifically for web app development generally isn't going to increase the difficulty involved in reverse engineering all or part of your feature set so it makes sense to go with a framework that is well supported and works well with your infrastructure & current workflow.

If you can purchase a proprietary solution, so can the competitor. In terms of competition, I think you're better off focusing on end product value rather than obfuscation. Obfuscation may make it more difficult to duplicate your effort, but it also may make further effort more difficult, hurting the product in the long run. Adding value not only give more for competition to duplicate, but also allows you to charge more and garner more customers.

I think there's a good general rule when it comes to this "build v buy" decision, no matter if the price of the software you're considering to buy is 0 or 10 million:

The thing that is at the core of your product you must build yourself. Otherwise you're always going to be hampered in your effort to make it excellent. The problem is not that others can copy it, the problem is that your product is going to be shit, regardless of whether or not it is copied.

Everything that is not at the center of your product you must buy, as building it will only distract from what you actually need to do.

I know this is very general, but I don't know much about you or your ideas. I'll still try make this more concrete:

If your product is software or a service that depends on the quality of software, then don't touch CMSs. Build from scratch (not including the operating system)!

If you are a teacher or a tax advisor who creates great content for his clients, just set up and customise your joomla and publish your stuff there. Don't bother to build software!

Reply on news.ycombinator.com