TRAK & Open Source

TRAK has been released under various GNU open source licenses

Why Open Source?

Lots of good reasons

TRAK supports exchange of architecture models/descriptions and collaboration
- interoperability
architecture models/descriptions are supposed to be a form of communication - don't want to tax this
valuing others' experience
- other domains
- other disciplines - 'the TRAK enterprise' is a system that includes people, definition and tools
- other applications
increasing diversity of users / adding element of randomness = innovative environment
supportability
increasingly government requires increased use of open source products
- UK Open Source Open Standards Reuse Strategy and Action Plan

The OmniGraffle stencil for TRAK also being open source means:

it is in the open
- source
- discussions, development
- rationale and decision-making
anyone can help improve the framework
- based on interest, need or experience - you don't need to be a major multinational - individuals are welcome!
- acknowledgement is recorded for work done

The OmniGraffle stencil for TRAK being open source does not mean:

you have to get involved
- you only need get involved if you want to, have a need to improve it to meet yours (& others) needs
it isn't ready
- We've been using this for over a year now on some big projects.
it isn't under configuration control
- the source definition is under version control and managed
you can copy it and release it as you see fit
- the GFDL applies terms such as copyright and attribution to those involved in the development of The OmniGraffle stencil for TRAK

There are all sorts of things for which help is likely to be needed:

adding knowledge to supporting documentation like wikis
maintaining key documentation
helping check for consistency across documents and with the products released
developing / documenting applications of TRAK architecture views and models/descriptions
- different domains
- different points of process / life cycle
developing example views
submitting case studies, feedback
spotting and submitting errors or requests for features
getting involved in a TRAK Working Group and extending TRAK
- tool support
- user interface of TRAK and TRAK views/models
The point is that there are likely to be positions for all sorts of people of all disciplines and at all levels - not just technical or software.
- help wanted postings
- send request to join the OmniGraffle for TRAK project