HadronZoo Collaboration

If you an individual or a company and see merit in the HadronZoo approach and are able to understand and use the HadronZoo C++ Class Library, or have staff who do, you are entirely at liberty to use the library as a base for your own software, commercial or otherwise, as long as you adhere to the terms of the licence. The Library and associated matter in the HadronZoo Suite will always be in the public domain. But you can go one step further and directly collaborate with us. You will have to be creative to become a collaborator from a technical standpoint because the bar is set pretty high. And to be honest, you are going to have to be a bit creative to see the benefit of becoming one. You might make money out of it and we very much hope you do. You might even make a lot of money - all the better. But there is a good chance you won't see a penny. There are no guarantees.

To become a collaborator you have to download the software from our Download page. This comprises the HadronZoo C++ class library, the Dissemino Low Latency Website Engine among other programs. Then you decide what you think needs doing to either a) Improve the library or b) Create a system based upon it. You may also create a system not based on the library but only if it is embedded software. You tell us what your plans are so we can register you for the collaboration program. What that basically means is that we agree the proposal is worthy of certification and ensure that your ideas don't clash with anyone else's. Then you implement it. Then we certify you.

The certification is intentionally tough. The submitted product or system must be reasonably substantive, have clear purpose and be well documented. A key part of the test is that other HadronZoo collaborators can follow the logic with ease. It must be demonstrable by a simple sequence of un-taring a set of files, typing 'make' and then running 'out of the box' on whatever data sources you have supplied. But just as importantly it must be easy to interface to (e.g. by XML over a TCP/UDP socket) and be easy to adapt and modify. And to state the obvious, it must be your work. You will be interviewed (by telephone or Skype) to ensure that you understand the principles upon which the product or system rests. This interview will help us to understand anything we could not gather from the documentation and allow us the verify your competence as a C/C++ programmer.

The HadronZoo library is the IPR (Intellectual Property Right) of HadronZoo but placed in the public domain. This will remain the case under all circumstances but if your project is too add to the library, all such additions will be given the appropriate credits. Any software based on the library is the IPR of its creator. So your submission is therefore your IPR and it is up to you what you do with it. Once we have examined your submission and decided you can be certified, we will make an entry on this website to this effect. As creator, it is up to you what information this entry contains. If you are publishing the material through your own website then a short description and a link will suffice. Alternatively you may want to publish the material on our website, either as public domain or otherwise. For legal purposes we will need proof of identity but you may specify what personal details are to be made public. We would recommend only first and last name, country or state of residence. You may also optionally supply a photograph.

The HadronZoo Umbrella

OK we have warned you that you might not see a penny and set out what is involved. We are very aware that our approach to software is not exactly mainstream. After all, whole systems built from the ground up as end to end C++ socket programs is not how most software is developed. This is hardcore for die-hards and not everyone's cup of tea. And yes, in case you were wondering, we really are inviting you to put in a lot of hours to add to our code-base. This is not quite the same as the Mark Twain sketch in which a boy charges his pals for the prevailing of painting a fence but it has echoes of it. So how does the collaboration program benefit the collaborator?

Let's start with the obvious. It is good to publish something useful with your name on it as a portfolio to add weight to your CV. And it is even better that someone else has verified it, ensured the documentation is not misleading and has ensured it has been tested out on live servers. We are not Cisco or MicroSoft and never will be. Our certification is never going to have that level of recognition. But it is worth something and as the number of collaborators rises, so does the value.

But the real benefits come if you want to take things further as by becoming a HadronZoo accredited collaborator you can operate under the HadronZoo umbrella. It is well known that lone software developers have a serious disadvantage in the market place. They cannot answer awkward questions such as what happens if they are run over by a truck or some other misfortune befalls them. Nor can they generally offer much in the way of technical support even when things go according to plan. Once you are a HadronZoo collaborator you no longer have that problem.

And the umbrella helps you get work as well. All work is carried out under the HadronZoo Contract Model. You don't have to 'network' to find clients but if you can bring on your own clients you will earn more. You get 75 percent of the revenue if we find the work and 85 percent if you find it.