How Far Can You Get With a Roadmap?

The first day of CMS Expo has been fantastic! Not only are we able to be around some of the open source greats and let people know a bit more about ImpressCMS, but I have been able to finally meet some of our own community in person. Marc-Andre and Steve M have joined me here and we have had a great time getting to know each other and talk about the project. One of the topics we've covered and heard a lot about at the expo is roadmaps.

As we move around Chicago (Evanston, to be exact), we've made good use of our smart phones to find locations and get directions. Very useful technology and it keeps us from wandering around aimlessly. What we haven't done, though, because it doesn't make sense, is to map each one of our steps as we go throughout the day. We adjust as the day progresses, allowing the experiences we have to chart our next destination.

The same is true for an open source project. Each of the major systems presenting here at CMS Expo had a session on their roadmap - where they see themselves heading and the plans they have for getting there. But, as anyone knows, maps are relative and not absolute. A map of Montreal is of no use in Chicago - one would quickly get lost in one city following directions from a map of another city. Your map for one day may be different on the next day. Which is why having a compass is of more importance than having a map.

We already made changes to our 'roadmap' several months ago - all we have is what comes next (version 1.3) and what comes later. And what comes later might (and probably will) change. It's even possible that what's next will change. But, we remain true to our purpose - to build and provide an incredible platform for building and supporting communities. That is our compass. Will we be at the expo next year? Definitely! Where will we visit along the way? Don't know, for sure. But, it will be a fun trip!