Microsoft squeezes out Oxite 'open source' blogger platform

Spot the difference

By Kelly Fiveash • Get more from this author

Posted in Developer, 9th December 2008 16:07 GMT

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Microsoft has released alpha code for an "open source" blogging platform dubbed Oxite.

Redmond will be hoping the platform – which sounds like a spotty teen's best friend to us – will compete with the likes of market big boys Wordpress and Google’s Blogger.

But many will argue that now is an odd time for the firm to be developing its own blogging platform. However, Microsoft is on its somewhat kamikaze mission to become a force in the Web 2.0 world – whatever the cost.

The company’s developer evangelist Jeff Sandquist claimed that “Oxite, is an open source, standards compliant, and highly extensible content management platform that can run anything from blogs to big web sites.”

But, as we’ve previously reported, Microsoft’s CodePlex site, where the code was published, hasn’t exactly fared well when scrutinised about its open source claims.

Just last month Microsoft said its CodePlex site would be revised before the year's out to signpost genuinely open source projects, after the company got itself in hot water.

Sandquist said the code, which was built using ASP.NET Model View Controller, currently on offer is merely a “lightweight sample” for developers to play with.

As for whether Oxite can be considered truly open source, you can judge for yourself by downloading the alpha code here.®

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