Comments on: Final days: Tectonic to close

By: Ebrahim-Khalil Hassen

Ebrahim-Khalil Hassen — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:20:05 +0000

Well done with this site! Even a person without technical skills (like me) could understand what was written, and thus begin to see the potential of open source. Change is sometimes wonderful! Hope you find a group that can take over the site in some way or form. Good luck with future projects.

By: Bonokwakhe

Bonokwakhe — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:49:58 +0000

This is so sad…I always visits this site almost everyday. I find it so interesting and informative, so i hope it will come back in future…Great stuff.
Good luck..

By: Alastair Otter

Alastair Otter — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:55:14 +0000

@rob allen: Thanks Rob. For now Tectonic Jobs will continue as it is. In time to come I will look at migrating it to a new (hopefully equally appropriate) home. Either way I hope to keep it going.

By: rob allen

rob allen — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:42:43 +0000

So long and thanks for all the open source fish. I hope the future bears well

One quick question = will tectonic jobs continue?

By: Duncan

Duncan — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 19:15:00 +0000

All the best Alastair, and thanks.

In music there is always someone else to take up the mantle of “the revolutionary” or “the angry kid” so I hope that in the ZA scene there will be someone who takes this up where you left off.

By: Alastair Otter

Alastair Otter — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:53:34 +0000

@mannemerak: Fair point and I have thought about this option. Problem is that it most certainly can't be a single person and it would have to be the right type of group. I'm not saying it can't happen but I am saying it is unlikely.

By: Alastair Otter

Alastair Otter — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:40:58 +0000

@Thulani:
I don’t really see this as a failure, of blogging or open source. Tectonic started as a hobby and simply ran its course. And during that time it (I believe) had a positive effect on the position and role of free and open source software in South Africa.

I think what Tectonic demonstrates is that anyone can do something like this and have a positive impact. For almost all of the nine and a bit years that Tectonic existed I was the only person running it. Tectonic was simply a blog with a lot readers, even though it was started before the word “blog” was coined.

Would I do it again? Without a doubt! But right now I am happy to just move on. Tectonic was a ten-year-long “job” and everyone needs a little variety in their life.

For the right price (anyone got a half-a-million lying around?) I would consider selling Tectonic, but to be honest that’s not my agenda and never has been. Tectonic may yet manifest in a different form in time to come but for now it is to close.

By: Alastair Otter

Alastair Otter — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:13:46 +0000

To all,

Thank you so much for the kind words. I really do appreciate them. Tectonic is going but I’m not. Right now I am looking forward to some time to think through ideas without the pressure of constantly producing news.

For those that haven’t already done so, join us on OpenZA. It’s not complete yet but over the coming months I hope to be spending time on developing it. http://openza.co.za

By: mannemerak

mannemerak — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:56:40 +0000

Sorry to hear this.
But, seeing this is all about freedom and sharing – have you considered just handing it over to someone else? I am pretty busy myself, but surely someone out there might be interested in continuing the great work?

Just my 2c

By: James

James — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:57:54 +0000

Thanks for all your work. Tectonic was a regular and much anticipated stop in my rss reader. I miss it already.
Best of luck for the future.