In the Atrium

Clear your mind. Now think about the words mobile and open source and Linux. You are probably thinking netbooks, Android phone, or some Linux application interacting with mobile devices. My first instinct when considering the mobile apps theme of this issue was to look at Linux and FOSS programs that would interface with my BlackBerry. That or my wife's Motorola cell phone. So I started looking at synchronization tools, which led me to contact management, address books, and so on.

After looking at, and tossing aside, several ideas, it occurred to me that my notion of mobile applications has changed quite a bit. Mobility isn't just about contacts; it's about the conversations you have with those people when you aren't with them. Furthermore, it's about working with groups, not just chatting or texting the cute programmer on the second floor of Building 5.

Group communication and interaction in a mobile world is entering the fuzzy realm of the global network. Because it is web based, the gateway to working (and playing) within a group is your browser. The real magic, however, happens on that Linux server, somewhere in the fuzzy world of your own network. Group communication, like the classic reasons for travel, tends to fall into one of two categories. Like the friendly border guard says a thousand times a day: "Business or pleasure?"

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