Draconis Software Blog

Stumbled across an interesting new bug-tracking tool, called 16bugs.com.  I say interesting, as the main goal of the tool is to provide an interface that makes tracking bugs “an easy and unobtrusive task. It could even be funny!”  Not sure exactly what makes it funny, though the interface looks nice.

The business model behind 16bugs is to provide a free version with limited features, and a subscription-based service at reasonable rates (from $8 to $25 a month).  It’s hosted on the 16bugs server, so your developer/QA folks will need to access this third-party site.  As one visitor brought up in the forum, it would be a great idea to add SSL encryption – I think a lot of companies would be very sensitive to having their software defects kept outside their control.

Personally, I feel this model for bug tracking has some great potential, especially for small companies that aren’t interested in setting up their own BugZilla, or for companies that contract with different firms that need access to a shared bug-tracker.  I know at least one company I’ve done consulting work for that could have really benefited from a system that’s easy for outside developers to access.

If you haven’t already, you’ve got to check out WubHub. Think of it as a programming language for creating mashups, where you can develop your own applications based on existing components from around the web (for instance, querying Slashdot on Java topics, than ranking them based on the results’ geographical location). The idea is there (though the site is still in alpha), and has some incredible potential.

As I’ve discussed earlier, I think this is part of the continuing evolution of the Web 2.0 movement, and an indication of where web application development is headed. Components from many different sources will be brought together to form cohesive, new applications – a Frankenstein of web widgets. The cool part about this is the potential for seriously fast application development, and simplistic creation interfaces that anyone can use.

I wonder about the business potential much of this faces, such as the viability of creating commercial web widgets and the logistics such a thing might entail. Imagine the potential in creating super-sophisticated mashups based on many of the new Web 2.0 companies that have been emerging. Very interesting stuff.

A new site is attempting to link together many of the “CSS Gallery” sites out there into a one-stop-shop for web developers. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have one site to visit, and one feed to subscribe to. CSS Galleries makes your life easier by aggregating the major design showcases into one simple RSS feed.”

If you’re a web designer, check this out before you start sifting through Google results.