I just read this article over on Linux-watch.com. Its about Storm, which is an Object-relational Mapper (ORM) tool that is used as an integral part of Launchpad. While its not the full open sourcing of Launchpad as many critics of Canonical may want, I think its a step in the right direction. Its an intriguing direction at that. Launchpad is made up a a bunch of components.

Who is to say that all of the underlying technology for Launchpad can't be released as FLOSS, but not the way that each piece interacts and is used to create Launchpad as a whole? While this is technically speaking a perfectly fine thing to do, I think that Launchpad as a whole could still benefit from a more community based approach as a product.