Whats so great about being involved with open source?
 

Hi everyone,

I'm currently writing my dissertation in the UK about collective intelligence and the open source movement. I'm very interested in the motivation people have to help out in a open source community, which can involve a large amount of time.

So my question to you is, What do you find attractive about working unpaid for an open source community?

Would you ever like more of a reward for the work you produce?

It would be great to hear from you all, keep me posted!

Note that most open source workers get paid.
Anyway, I'm the author of a virtual keyboard for disabled people:
http://florence.sourceforge.net
I do it because one of my friends was disabled by a horrible desease. The project is named after her (Florence). I did it because gok was overkill for someone who doesn't use switches.
My reward is that several people sent ideas for improvement and bug reports.
I post here to help when I'm bored. It is fun and entertaining.
I would like €1000000000 for a reward, a lot of girls and a cookie.

Pixellany had a good reply in the other thread that was closed. I hope that post will be merged into this thread.

Here it is: (Now I am going to get dinged for double-posting...;)

Welcome to LQ!!

The first thing that grabs me is this:

Where did you ge the idea that Open Source means no pay? For example, do some research on the major players in the Linux kernel, and you will see that they are typically employed--with contributing to the kernel part of their job description. The same is true--eg.--for something like OpenOffice.

There are two aspects of Open Source that exist independently of the other:
1. The basic concept of shared source code and community-based development, maintenance, and support.
2. The new (and evolving) business model wherein revenue comes from service and support, and not from sale of proprietary products.

To abstract things a bit, I get "paid" for helping people here. I just don't get money. What I do get is the satisfaction of being able to help people transition to Linux, AND I get access to world-class experts when I need help.
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Open Source
 

I haven't been fortunate enough to contribute to open source yet, but i have written programs and such for companies I've worked at and simple games for family. Not any for direct pay. It was to make my job and other colleagues jobs easier or for enjoyment of others. I would even write in my spare time.

For me it was knowing something I've done was contributing to someone, if even on an entertainment basis. As to my normal paying job, I do what the company says, and Im so far removed from having a direct impact on the end customer and product that my job feels like a waste of time. More like a small gear in a BIG machine. Plus coding is something I like doing. Quality Engineering, not so much LOL.

Ace

Hi I'd just like to thank you all for the replies you have sent in so far, they are great!

Now lets consider something else, if so many of you can join together to form a community, that can support each other, and develop new products. A community that relies on a network of people all around the world. Is it possible that communities online, similar to yours, could join together to help defeat bird flu, tackle global warming, keep communities safe, provide support for disaster victims, teach and learn, design and even make physical products?

Is there anything stopping communities like yours, from combining collective intelligence and forming a new global brain, a global brain that could make huge changes to the planet we live on?

Actually, there is the red cross, medecins sans frontière, amnesty international, the WWF, green peace and many others.
I like the red cross and I participate in this effort too.
Unfortunately, there are huge chalenges and many things stopping the communities. People destroying what you build. A war can destroy in 3 days what you have built in 50 years. Some other people steal tons of food for profit from the poors and the red cross give them a little back. I'm not being pessemistic though. No matter how hard it is, there is no point in doing nothing. This is life's only purpose.

Noble Thought
 

I agree we should be able to do more of the "two heads are better than one" type thing for our communities. I would love to work with habitat for humanity for example. I had one of my sons spend his spring break work to help areas in Mississippi rebuild from Katrina. Unfortunately, physically doing for the communities usually requires $ that doesn't exist and usually draws out the malicious ppl who would try to destroy progress. Thats usually not the case with open source writing.

However, it would be a worthy task and ppl should investigate the possibilities i suppose.

Ace

No,the doors are open,but the issue here is that there must be someone who lead the way.If you talk to the people,or listen what they are saying,most often you'll see that they would like a change,but their lack of will,or moral,or guts,or visions will make them not to take a part in action.The goals must be set,a clear vision of how the future should look like must be in people minds.That way something could be changed.The only way people will ever be happy in this planet is if they get united,if it comes a day when one will say "I'm a human,I live on Earth" and there would be nothing else to it.No borders to keep us apart.No barrier's wich are stoping us to comunicate,and I know that you're aware what internet means to this.And yes we should use internet for idea that you have presented us,we should.