Contacts database -- an open source project?

[John Lederer <johnl@ibm.net>]

>From this list and other conversations, I have gathered
that a number of people are currently working on using
an LDAP server as a contacts database for an
organization.

What I mean by a "contacts database" is a means of
storing and retrieving information about entities that
are external to an organization, but with whom the
organization communicates. For instance,  a history
professor might add the email, phone numbers,
addresses, etc. of history professors in other
universities to his universities LDAP server. This
information would then be available to other users of
the organization's LDAP server.  Similarly, a company
might want to maintain the contact information for its
suppliers, a law firm its clients and opposing counsel,
etc.

To some extent this would cut against what I see as an
ideal of LDAP--each organization maintaining its own
data and becoming the authoritative source for that
data. Howveer, that ideal seems little closer, and, in
the interim, a contacts database usage of LDAP would be
very useful.

Such an application would require an easy way for an
unpracticed user to add information to the database
without dealing with some of the complexities of LDAP.
It would also have to have an easy way for users to
access information, perhaps something like Novell's
Eguide, or some of the "phone book" applications one
sees. Users might also want the application  to be able
to produce postal mailing lists, or invitees to a
function.

It would probably require a way to easily retrieve
contacts entered by a particular person--"show me just
my contacts beginning with 'LEDE'"--as well as all
contacts.  It would also be desirable to have a
standard schema for a contact, somewhat similar perhaps
to InetOrg person, but with some additional
information, and an understood method of extending it.

All of these things exist in some form or another, but
an open source contacts database project might tie
together what is out there and fill in the gaps. If
nothing else, setting up a project might better inform
all of us what is there.

Is there interest in this? Is there enough interest to
extend to donating ideas,  code, and some time and
labor?  Or is this perhaps something that LDAP  just is
not well suited for?




Regards,
John Lederer
Oregon, Wisconsin