Apache Wookie incubator project

Dear Social Web W3C Incubator, Some information about Wookie, a new 
Apache Incubator...,

"Wookie is a Java server application that allows you to upload and 
deploy widgets for your applications. Wookie is based on the W3C Widgets 
specification, but widgets can also be included that use extended APIs 
such as Google Wave Gadgets and OpenSocial."


The Wookie project has been taken on by the Apache Software Foundation 
(ASF) as an incubator. ASF also host the Shindig project, which provides 
Java and PHP implementations of OpenSocial. Wookie is interesting since 
it tries to bridge the world of Website-based "widgets" (gadgets, apps), 
ie. OpenSocial and Facebook, with those that use a software installation 
model, eg. zip'd widgets typically for mobile, desktop and other devices 
(like TVs).

W3C has been standardising some Widgets work in the latter tradition; 
OpenSocial and Shindig are the main "open" efforts in the former. While 
there is considerable overlap in scope (and potential for collaboration, 
eg. addressbook/contacts APIs), to date they've remained distinct 
worlds. This is why I find Wookie very good news - it provides an 
opensource collaboration for exploring the use of W3C Widgets spec in a 
Website-based deployment model, ie. bringing the two styles of widget 
together. It also integrates with and (I believe) uses OpenSocial/Shindig.

There's a blog post here with more details -
http://osswatch.jiscinvolve.org/2009/07/17/wookie-accepted-into-apache-incubator/
http://zope.cetis.ac.uk/members/scott/blogview?entry=20090721125354

orig proposal: http://wiki.apache.org/incubator/WookieProposal
asf discussion: http://markmail.org/thread/lsjfeu2poqhvvwwa

project homepage (pre apache): http://getwookie.org/Welcome.html

Also do read this detailed response from Chris Chabot, on the 
relationship to OpenSocial, Shindig etc:

http://markmail.org/search/?q=wookie+google+chris+chabot#query:wookie%20google%20chris%20chabot+page:1+mid:hgjduhiozskjf4q6+state:results

New project Wiki: http://cwiki.apache.org/WOOKIE/


 From the blog posts above, here is how to get involved:

"If you're interested, there is a mailing list set up for developers; to 
subscribe to the list, send a message to 
wookie-dev-subscribe@incubator.apache.org". I've done just that...

cheers,

Dan


ps. harry, this closes "# [CONTINUES] ACTION: danbri circulate wookie 
proposal to the xg" ...

Received on Wednesday, 19 August 2009 11:44:33 UTC