RE: Open Source

["Jonathan Shore" <jshore@example.com>]

> From: Stephen J. Turnbull [mailto:turnbull@example.com]
> I would propose that your job posting (to a LUG or other open source
> mailing list) include "We wish to maintain the highest standards for
> any work we are associated with.  At this time, we cannot afford to
> provide a high-quality published implementation, nor the support we
> feel is appropriate.  Our intention is to release the code as open
> source once the implementation of the features demanded by our
> business is complete.  At that point, if resources do not permit us to
> directly support it, we will solicit volunteers to document,
> generalize, and maintain the code base."

I appreciate the advice in this regard.  As my focus in the original posting
was on finding people to help make something work I did not take the time to
put the posting into an open source perspective.  I understand that this is
very important to most in this forum - wakatta.

As for the first project, you are quite right about the broad appeal - this
is one of the bits I was refering to as being appropriate for an open-source
release - and perhaps have almost convinced me to do an open source project
from the start.  The intent with this work was to first get it done and then
find a way to get it integrated back in later.

----
One quibble though - as LUG stands for Linux Users Group, is being a linux
user[1] equivalent to being a developer or even an open source developer.
Certainly in the distant past this was almost exclusively true, however,
even sophisticated users may not have the time or the desire to hack Linux
(or the apps therein).

I personally have seen and been the subject of animousity to the notion of:

* users who don't want to fix *all* of the problems they encounter
themselves
* users who want to do something commercial based on Linux within the
parameters of the licensing
* users who are honest and complain that aspects of linux are chaotic or
"hard".

In my view, linux, and the intercourse of activities around linux should be
open and welcomed.  For instance, that a commercial entity has decided to
use linux as a platform rather than windoze should be welcomed no matter
what their view on source politics is.  My view personally is one of
appreciation for open source and at the same time a knowledge from
experience of what we can and cannot do practically, subject to time and our
own constraints.

I appreciate that much of what has been said has been to clarify aspects of
terminology, to understand where my issues are, etc.

JS


[1] I would not call myself a Linux users (in the minimal sense) as I do
plenty of development on Linux.  There  is a growing group of people who use
linux but cannot or do not hack it however.