open source

In some projects for friends-and-family clients, I'm investigating open-source, Web-based software solutions in these categories, and hoping my site-visiting friends can point me to more options.

• Accounting: I'm checking out WebERP, and it seems powerful, but focused on wholesale or retail businesses that keep inventory instead of service businesses. Know of good options for those?

At their worst, I'll admit, open-source software communities can breed flame wars, ugly breakups and needlessly forked development roadmaps. But at their best, you have to admit, open-source crowds share ideas, solve practical problems and tip hats at each others' successes.

Witness the Drupal community's post congratulating the developers of Joomla -- arguably Drupal's biggest competitor for mindshare -- on their new release.