[Savannah-hackers] Re: GNU Evaluation: Edventure

[Hugo Gayosso]

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Sorry, I mistyped Savannah Hackers email address.

Also, note, that the author CAN be contacted, I have corrected it in
the original evaluation outline.

Hugo Gayosso <address@hidden> writes:

> Please confirm that we can close this evaluation.
> 
> GNU Software Evaluation - Outline for Evaluations
> -------------------------------------------------
> 
> * General Information
> 
> ** Package name and version
> 
>    Edventure 3.6.9
> 
> ** Author <Email>
> 
>    Douglas S. Blank <address@hidden>
> 
> ** Should the authors(s) be contacted? (Y/N)
> 
>    Yes
> 
> ** Requested by
> 
>    savannah-hackers@@gnu.org
> 
> ** Message-ID
> 
>    200201170443.g0H4hRGH017417@@ada.brynmawr.edu
> 
> ** Evaluator
> 
>    Misha Tavkhelidze <address@hidden>
> 
> ** Home page
> 
>    http://dangermouse.brynmawr.edu/edventure/
> 
> ** Source
> 
>    http://dangermouse.brynmawr.edu/edventure/download/edventure-3.6.7.tgz
> 
> ** Describe in your own words what job or jobs this program does.
> 
>    Edventure is a web based course management system written in PHP,
>    designed to replace non-free proprietary programs such as WebCT or
>    BlackBoard at a university or school. It provides course material
>    online management capabilities, allows creation of exam questions
>    and combining them into exam papers, tracking enrolled students
>    marks, etc..
> 
> * Package specifics
> 
> ** Binaries available (Y/N)
> 
>    Not applicable
> 
> ** GNU/Linux support? (Y/N)
> 
>    Yes
> 
> ** License:               (specify type - any problems?)
> 
>    GNU General Public License Version 2 or any later version.
> 
> ** Dependencies:             (ok/problematic + notes)
> 
>    PHP
> 
>    Hugo: Do you know if it can be used with PHP3 ?
>      
>    Mikheil: Unfortunately, not straight away. It uses some built_in
>             functions and features that are present only in php4
>             (i.e. "include_once" or default values for function
>             arguments). Although, I think it can be easily rewritten
>             to be usable under php3.
> 
>    Apache, Postgres or MySQL (any other RDBMS), GD (a graphic library
>    for fast image creation) which is not GPL.
> 
>    GD copyright and licence statement from gd-1.8.3 readme.txt
>    follows:
> 
>       Portions copyright 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
>       by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Funded under Grant
>       P41-RR02188 by the National Institutes of Health.
> 
>         Portions copyright 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 by
>       Boutell.Com, Inc.
> 
>       Portions relating to GD2 format copyright 1999, 2000 Philip Warner.
> 
>       Portions relating to PNG copyright 1999, 2000 Greg Roelofs.
> 
>       Portions relating to libttf copyright 1999, 2000 John Ellson
>       (address@hidden).
> 
>       Portions relating to JPEG copyright 2000, Doug Becker and
>       copyright (C) 1994-1998, Thomas G. Lane. This software is
>       based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.
> 
>       Portions relating to WBMP copyright 2000 Maurice Szmurlo and
>       Johan Van den Brande.
> 
>       _Permission has been granted to copy, distribute and modify gd
>       in any context without fee, including a commercial
>       application, provided that this notice is present in
>       user-accessible supporting documentation._
> 
>       This does not affect your ownership of the derived work
>       itself, and the intent is to assure proper credit for the
>       authors of gd, not to interfere with your productive use of
>       gd. If you have questions, ask. "Derived works" includes all
>       programs that utilize the library. Credit must be given in
>       user-accessible documentation.
> 
>       _This software is provided "AS IS."_ The copyright holders
>       disclaim all warranties, either express or implied, including
>       but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and
>       fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to this code
>       and accompanying documentation.
> 
>       Although their code does not appear in gd 1.8.3, the authors
>       wish to thank David Koblas, David Rowley, and Hutchison Avenue
>       Software Corporation for their prior contributions.
> 
> ** Configuration:
> 
>    GNU coding standards compliant? No
> 
>    Installation and configuration is meant to be just setting up a web
>    server (if needed) and copying the contents of tarball to
>    appropriate directory (http document root), but in practice it's
>    not so easy and needs some tweaking.
> 
>    Although README says package can be used with other RDBMS, SQL
>    schema is present only for Postgres and to make system work I had
>    to manually add 'admin' user to appropriate table.
> 
>    All configuration parameters are meant to be stored in a single
>    file (edventure.php) used by other scripts, but in some files
>    (dbi.php or help/index.cgi) some parameters are hard-coded.
> 
> ** Compilation:
> 
>    Not applicable
> 
> ** Usability/interface:      (ok/problematic + notes)
> 
>    Ok. Interface is web based and seems pretty good to me. I've tested
>    it with Netscape, IE, Konqueror.
> 
> ** What languages is the program written in.
> 
>    PHP, some scripts in Perl. Entry page states JavaScript requirement
>    but I was able to use package with JS switched off.
> 
> ** Code
> 
> *** Clarity/maintenance: (ok/problematic + notes)
> 
>     Ok
> 
> *** Does it meet GNU Coding Standards?
> 
>     Not applicable
> 
> ** Performance:              (ok/problematic + notes)
> 
>    Not applicable. Non of the parts of a package are performance
>    critical.
> 
> ** documentation:
> 
> *** Does the package include a good introduction or tutorial manual?
> 
>     No. It has built in help system, but it's unfinished.
> 
> *** Does the package include a good reference manual?
> 
>     No. See above.
> 
> ** Does the program recommend or encourage the use of any non-free software?
> 
>    No
> 
> ** Does it have certain capabilities that can only be used in conjunction 
> with some non-free software package?
> 
>    No
> 
> * Evaluation summary
> 
> ** Does the program fit coherently within the GNU system?
> 
>    It should be useful to have such a package which targets academic
>    user base and allows to migrate from proprietary systems.
> 
> ** Does the program meet necessary requirements for being a GNU package?
> 
>    Unfortunately I can't judge overall quality of Edventure as I'm not
>    familiar with any other course management software packages.
> 
>    On other hand the package seems not to be quite ready for
>    "production" use: some features are marked "under construction",
>    some are implemented but aren't working, etc..
> 
> ** Are there any licensing issues that need to be resolved?
> 
>    No, if GD licence (see above) is acceptable.
> 
> ** Is there a large overlap with some other GNU package?
> 
>    None I'm aware of.
> 
> ** Does the program have any gratuitous incompatibilities with other GNU 
> packages?
> 
>    None I'm aware of.
> 
> * Notes and comments during the evaluation process
> 
>   17 Jan 2002 "Douglas S. Blank" address@hidden
> 
>   I wasn't aware of CAPA, but I took a look at it, and here is what I
>   see as the main differences:
> 
>   CAPA looks fairly narrowly tailored to a specific teaching
>   methodology and purpose. For example, it seems to focus on
>   individual training question sets for students. In their own words:
>   "... it enables faculty to augment their courses with individualized
>   relevant exercises."
> 
>   On the other hand, Edventure is meant to be a general purpose,
>   extendible, modular, framework with which to manage course materials
>   and activities. This would include managing passwords for students,
>   uploading assignments, maintaining a secure gradebook, providing a
>   well thought out versioning system for questions and exams, etc.
> 
>   In other words CAPA could be turned into a plugin for Edventure,
>   with Edventure providing the necessary infrastructure, API, and
>   management tools, and CAPA providing exactly what it was designed
>   for.
> 
>   CAPA is not meant to be a Black Board, or WebCT (two proprietary
>   systems currently on the market). Edventure *is* meant to be a
>   replacement for these types of systems.
> 
>   Black Board (blackboard.com) is the largest on-line course
>   management system. Microsoft has just invested $20 million in Black
>   Board. Black Board has vowed to make its system "work better" with
>   Windows systems (as quoted in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Nov
>   23, 2001).
> 
>   Our schools are not the places to allow some systems to have
>   advantage over others.
> 
>   Black Board (and WebCT) already make it very difficult for
>   instructors to extract their course material out of their respective
>   systems. Why would they make it easy to stop using their software?
> 
>   School administrators need a choice, and this could end up being a
>   very important project. Microsoft has made it clear that they intend
>   to battle for a place in education.
> 
>   There is another initiative: the Open Knowledge Initiative. However,
>   they have been working for a year, but haven't make any details
>   available to non-OKI members. Maybe the OKI will fill this niche. If
>   so, I would be glad to jump on that band wagon.
> 
>   I suspect that Edventure could be fundable from outside sources, and
>   I will follow up over the coming years.
> 
>   I think Edventure is an important concept, and I think it fits in
>   with the GNU Project very well.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Hugo Gayosso
> GNU Software Evaluators
> Coordinator
> 
> http://www.gnu.org
> http://www.gnu-friends.org/~hugo
> 
> _______________________________________________
> gnueval mailing list
> address@hidden
> http://mail.gnu.org/mailman/listinfo/gnueval
> 
> 

- -- 
Hugo Gayosso
GNU Software Evaluators
Coordinator

http://www.gnu.org
http://www.gnu-friends.org/~hugo
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