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Show HN: I'm building an open-source Amazon

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Re: Show HN: I'm building an open-source Amazon

#81

Post by robertlagrant »

throwayyy479087 wrote: post #49
rocket_surgeron wrote: post #44

Those efforts look impressive but no service will be a version (open source or otherwise) of Amazon until it can place a single tube of toothpaste in my garage 18 hours after I ordered it, which it just did thirty minutes ago. Amazon’s “tech” stack, both consumer- and seller-facing is horrible and borderline irrelevant. Their fleet of trucks and aircraft is not.

Amazon.com is likely the most a/b tested piece of software on the planet. It is ugly and clunky because that's what _works_ - same with Alibaba and Yahoo JP.

It's ugly and clunky because a) Jeff used to guard it fiercely, b) because a/b testing is not guaranteed to get the best results, and c) you might just be on the "ugly" a/b test.

Re: Show HN: I'm building an open-source Amazon

#82

Post by dudeinjapan »

swyx wrote: post #32
jpatt wrote: post #24

A few points I'm skeptical of: simply connect to the seller’s infra instead of locking them in. One of the value-adds of Amazon is there's a whole bunch of tech sellers don't need to know how to write, run, and maintain. You'd need to understand how big the niche "technically literate to run their own e-commerce business, but selling on Amazon for other reasons" is, then how your operation would answer those "other r…

i think the branding "open source Amazon" is just way too ambitious/big. invites a lot of confusion/criticism if Amazon is different things to different people.

should start small, like an open source Google, then work your way up to an open source Amazon.

Re: Show HN: I'm building an open-source Amazon

#83

Post by boucher »

ZekeSulastin wrote: post #78
boucher wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

MongoDB is effectively licensed under the AGPL and seems to have no problem being used by corporations of all sizes.

Wouldn’t those corporations just purchase the commercial license MongoDB offers, though?

Maybe? The commercial version has some extra features, but if you don't need them then there's probably no need to. I imagine there is more value in paying for a support contract.

Re: Show HN: I'm building an open-source Amazon

#84

Post by cush »

dudeinjapan wrote: post #82
swyx wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i think the branding "open source Amazon" is just way too ambitious/big. invites a lot of confusion/criticism if Amazon is different things to different people.

should start small, like an open source Google, then work your way up to an open source Amazon.

Harsh, but true

Re: Show HN: I'm building an open-source Amazon

#85

Post by robertlagrant »

rglover wrote: post #63
traceroute66 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Maaaan if we were in the same room. Don't belittle someone who's trying to accomplish something (and following through with it). I'm not belittling. I'm just saying set realistic goals. "Build an open-source Amazon" without the budget or the manpower ? Its simply not realistic unless you have very deep pockets and a team of hundreds of full-time staff. If you think I'm being unduly harsh, what sort of grilling do y…

No, you're setting limits on another human being, likely because you're intimidated by them even having the stones to go through with it (and you won't/can't). Folks like you are a dime-a-dozen and they are always hollow souls who can't accomplish a fraction of the people they push down. > what sort of grilling do you think the OP will be subjected to when they rock up at a bank or VC fund looking for a few hundred m…

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Re: Show HN: I'm building an open-source Amazon

#86

Post by boucher »

PeterZaitsev wrote: post #79
boucher wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

MongoDB is effectively licensed under the AGPL and seems to have no problem being used by corporations of all sizes.

MongoDB is licenses as SSPL which is non Open Source license all together BUT this is only if you are not paying for MongoDB. If you do chances are you're using MongoDB Enterprise which is licensed under commercial license or MongoDB Atlas all together

SSPL is a nearly verbatim copy of AGPL, except one section. It is more restrictive than the AGPL, in a way that many feel is anti-competitive, which is why it's not considered Open Source by many, but also in a way which doesn't really change the argument here IMO.

Re: Show HN: I'm building an open-source Amazon

#87

Post by cush »

Do companies want or need an open source Amazon? To me, Shopify fills this role. Buyers just want cheap and fast, and sellers just want more profits.

Amazon isn't a software company - it's a logistics company that specializes in distribution of anything, anywhere, at the absolute minimum price to maintain profits.

Most of what Amazon does software-wise Shopify covers - the storefront, sales, marketing, analytics, and even some of the distribution logistics.

What Shopify doesn't do is analyze your businesses sales, create competing products and drive you out of business.

Re: Show HN: I'm building an open-source Amazon

#88

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

jpatt wrote: post #24

A few points I'm skeptical of: simply connect to the seller’s infra instead of locking them in. One of the value-adds of Amazon is there's a whole bunch of tech sellers don't need to know how to write, run, and maintain. You'd need to understand how big the niche "technically literate to run their own e-commerce business, but selling on Amazon for other reasons" is, then how your operation would answer those "other r…

It's the word "simply" that usually raises all the red flags :-)

Re: Show HN: I'm building an open-source Amazon

#90

Post by shagie »

boucher wrote: post #76
light_hue_1 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

AGPL is banned from every corporation I have ever seen. Because it's viral even when it is used internally, you might end up having to release things you never expected and that are very sensitive. It would be insane to allow anyone to use AGPL code in any corporate environment.

MongoDB is effectively licensed under the AGPL and seems to have no problem being used by corporations of all sizes.

MongoDB - the application is. MongoDB - the service isn't.

You can use an Oracle database (however ugly its licensing is) without having an oracle license on every piece of data you expose. The same is true of Mongo license and the data it exposes as a service.

The AGPL in this case is "you use MongoDB - someone wants to know about it, the source for MongoDB is over there." MongoDB AGPL doesn't 'infect' the application it is part of.

Now, if you were to fork MongoDB and do something with that fork (FongoDB), and that deployed FongoDB would need to make it's source code available if it was accessible - not the entire application that it is part of or components that use the data that it provides.

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