Thread: Google Reveals EtherPad as Open Source to Calm customers

Google has revealed the source code of EtherPad, a Web-hosted word processor intended for immediate workgroup teamwork, in a move intended at soothing users of the product who criticized regarding plans to stop it.

Google acquired EtherPad's maker, AppJet, formerly this month to insert AppJet's technology as well as lineup to Google Wave, a synchronized hosted association application that unites e-mail, direct messaging along with document distribution. At the time, Google announced that the hosted versions of EtherPad would be shut down at the end of March, triggering an outcry from users.

Google subsequently decided to release EtherPad's code as open source, so that anyone could install it on their own servers. That code is now available for download.

"Our objective with this discharge is to allow the globe run their individual EtherPad servers so that the functionality can live on even after we shut down etherpad.com," wrote Aaron Iba, former AppJet CEO, on Thursday in an official blog.

Actually, those with commercial proclivity might even receive the EtherPad code as well as present the software in a Web-hosted fashion to others, just similar to AppJet does today, he wrote.

Ahead of the Google attainment, AppJet presented EtherPad in three versions: a hosted "Free" starter edition; a hosted "Professional" edition priced at US$8 per user for each month; along with a "Private Network" edition priced at $99 per user as well as intended to be downloaded to on-premise customer servers.

Originally, Google alleged it would stop charging for the specialized accounts as well as discontinue accepting innovative EtherPad accounts, but after that it also backtracked on the latter decision. But, Iba wrote on Friday that a point in EtherPad sign-ups after the Google achievement has overloaded its servers, causing recurring downtime at EtherPad website.

"We are doing our finest to maintain the site up as well as running, but it's obvious that we will not be capable to do so for an indefinite period. Our plan remains to stop the hosted service wholly by March 31st, 2010. New public pad creation might want to be shut down sooner, depending on whether traffic carry on to grow or else taper off," Iba wrote.

AppJet offers methods for users to export data in EtherPad "pads". Google will respect support obligation for Private Network customers but will not renovate those contracts once they run out.

Google Wave, declared in May and still in limited release, has garnered a lot of notice as of its possible to interrupt consumer as well as enterprise teamwork software by uniting elements from different applications in a single interface.

But, the jury is still out on whether users will grip Wave or else be puzzled by it, downgrading it to the industry's bin of clever and bold ideas that not at all caught on.