Open Source in Online Wine Applications - the Case for a Universal Wine Names Database
Without going into the pros/cons of open source application or database development, let me say that there is a great need for a universal wine name/information database for wine application development projects.
Right now, there is no available comprehensive database of wine producers, label name and basic geographic information. You can purchase a subset of the UPC database that includes wine, but it is woefully inadequate. The UPC database lacks most high end wines which don't have a UPC code - do an informal survey, start looking for a UPC barcode on the next wines you drink, they are not likely to have any (if most do, you should probably drink better wine).
That creates a big problem for people like me in - those in the business of creating applications that collect, organize and display information on wine. There is no way to normalize the data without building your own database. I ran into this problem in 1999 when I launched our first site, WineCommune.com. I avoided the problem for as long as I could, but by 2000 we realized the next generation of applications required it.
We built our own database from a combination of sources. Originally, the project took a significant amount of work to design and seed. Once we reached a critical mass of entries (enough entries to cover 98% of our data needs), however, maintaining and expanding the database became straightforward tasks.
That database sits behind all of our applications and represents a significant asset - both intellectual and financial. As a small company or private enthusiast, I could never have afforded it - it was only after I had established a profitable venture that I could justify the cost.
What should such a database contain:
Maybe we need a little guy to shake us up - start an online application that aims to build a database and relies on user contributions to build it. Access would be dependant on how much you contributed. An accurate, freely available, comprehensive wine name/information database would spawn a new generation of applications.
Right now, there is no available comprehensive database of wine producers, label name and basic geographic information. You can purchase a subset of the UPC database that includes wine, but it is woefully inadequate. The UPC database lacks most high end wines which don't have a UPC code - do an informal survey, start looking for a UPC barcode on the next wines you drink, they are not likely to have any (if most do, you should probably drink better wine).
That creates a big problem for people like me in - those in the business of creating applications that collect, organize and display information on wine. There is no way to normalize the data without building your own database. I ran into this problem in 1999 when I launched our first site, WineCommune.com. I avoided the problem for as long as I could, but by 2000 we realized the next generation of applications required it.
We built our own database from a combination of sources. Originally, the project took a significant amount of work to design and seed. Once we reached a critical mass of entries (enough entries to cover 98% of our data needs), however, maintaining and expanding the database became straightforward tasks.
That database sits behind all of our applications and represents a significant asset - both intellectual and financial. As a small company or private enthusiast, I could never have afforded it - it was only after I had established a profitable venture that I could justify the cost.
What should such a database contain:
- producers
- labels
- basic geographic information
- varietal
- name changes for a wine
Maybe we need a little guy to shake us up - start an online application that aims to build a database and relies on user contributions to build it. Access would be dependant on how much you contributed. An accurate, freely available, comprehensive wine name/information database would spawn a new generation of applications.
6 Comments:
Yes, but will they port that db to my treo!
Very interesting idea and sounds needed. Unfortunately there may be a couple of problems, typically open source enthusiasts aren't into wine and vice versa. (Although I do sponsor an open source wine group, these folks are mostly on the business side.) And although most wine related websites are built on open source technologies the developers are paid employees and are unlikely to do something like you describe in their spare time. Additionally, the people who would be technically capable of building this probably wouldn't have the domain expertise or content to populate the database. And lastly, the way you describe how people would get access, actually restricted, doesn't meet the tenets of open source, reducing the enthusiasm of potential contributors. The most likely scenario for success would be a commercially developed version utilizing a dual license model so that the commercial entity could make the database truly open while providing some sort of value-added services around it to drive revenue and still protect their IP.
You are right, Andrew, I shouldn't be using the term "open source" for what I describe. Maybe a "consortium" model where the members contribute or benefit. Coupled with an open membership system with low barriers to entry.
CellarTracker seems like the best web site to accomplish this as their community can input the info and doublecheck it. Since the Cellartracker community comments on their wines, it make sense that every wine could eventually be covered.
Also... there is no incentive for a Cellartracker person to misrepresent the wine name.
It's very interesting that everywhere on the world wine fans have the same problem.
I'm just in a discussion with some friends to set up a own small project for a online database.
The idea is similar to your idea.
Let's keep in contact in the future and share our minds.
I'm a geek, I like to drink wine, and also to give it away to family/friends at Christmas. I track what I give away and always struggled to record the information properly and to interpret the label. I am for a community oriented database, like FreeDB (www.freedb.org, the free CD database), that I can "tap" into to get this kind of information. Why don't some of you more sophisticated wine folks go talk to the FreeDB folks about the technology they use and see if you can set something up?
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