Open-source Sunday School: More than money
[M]an doth not live by bread alone.... (Deuteronomy 8:3)
Talk to an open-source developer, and they'll tell you that they code for more than the 1s and 0s. Whether it's for the "egoboo" (reputation boost) that Eric Raymond notes or for some other reason, it's usually not for cash [PDF]. Most open-source developers code for more than money (though money is important).
According to a 2002 survey done by the Boston Consulting Group [PDF], the primary reason developers contribute to open-source projects is that they find it "intellectually stimulating." Th second reason was that it "improves skill." Third was "work functionality." "Money" didn't make the list.
Every open-source developer needs to take care of herself and her family. But open-source software development is about more than just code, and about more than just money. It's about community. Developers don't live by money alone. Hence, open source is a good way to give employees a higher purpose than "Kill Competitor M."
Speaking of which, "Beat proprietary software" was the second-lowest reason on the BCG list. Open source is about building things, not tearing others down.
Matt Asay brings a decade of in-the-trenches open-source business and legal experience to The Open Road, with an emphasis on emerging open-source business strategies and opportunities. Matt is vice president of business development at Alfresco, a company that develops open-source software for content management. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. You can follow Matt on Twitter @mjasay. 
I long ago learned that you rarely offend by using the female pronoun, but can often annoy people by using the male pronoun. It's just one of those things that is easier to err on the side of political correctness than to have to endure being torched over a pronoun.
- Think your link to the BCG study is broken.
- by brentwilliams--2008 November 19, 2007 8:27 AM PST
- I also googled it and can't find it. Given that Karim was involved, are you sure that it's not published by MIT and available under their auspices?
- Like this Reply to this comment
-
(4 Comments)