[TriLUG] Why do we do open source?

[Mike Johnson]

Benjamin Reed [ranger at befunk.com] wrote:
> I think this post to the KDE list from Andreas Pour couldn't have said
> it better.
> 
> -----Forwarded Message-----
> 
> From: Andreas Pour <pour at mieterra.com>
> To: kde at mail.kde.org
> Cc: KDE Cafe <kde-cafe at kde.org>
> Subject: Re: [kde] WOW. . .those screenshots of 3.1Alpha are fantastic
> Date: 12 Jul 2002 14:03:39 -0500

<snip>
 
> And then sometimes I, too, wonder, why *do* I bother?
> 
> Yours,
> 
> Dre

I've often wondered the same thing.  I've participated in many efforts
that were volunteer based.  I did not directly receive any gain for
those efforts.  Please understand that I'm not a programmer.  Perhaps I
was several years ago, but I am no longer.  However, I've contributed
patches, RPM spec files, even binary RPMs that folks couldn't get to
compile.  I'm also in my third year on the TriLUG SC, and I've worked as
staff on several MU*s (MUDs, MUSHs, MUXes -- think text based Everquest)
and the question of 'why do I bother' comes up occasionally.  

Anyways, I came across a posting on a webboard that summarizes my
thoughts.  I'm sure there's members of the open source community who
feel the same, I'm sure there's others who don't.  This post was about
working as staff on an online game, but I beleive it applies to many of
the effors I undertake.  At the least, it's something to chew on:

I was watching this incredibly cheesy movie a week ago...I was in a
hotel, and it was on HBO late at night when there was nothing else to
watch. Something about ravers in San Francisco...I've forgotten the
name. Something like 'Groove' or something. Anyway. There's this moment
where there are these two guys talking, and one of them, Guy #1, is the
guy who organizes all these illegal raves. Guy #2 asks him, "Why do you
do it? Why do you run all of these raves, when it costs so much and you
have to work so hard and there's always people overdosing and cops
busting the place and so on?" Guy #1 says, "The nod. I do it for the
nod." Guy #2 goes, "What? What's the nod?" And guy #1 says, "It happens
every time. Sometime during the night, somebody will come up to me and
say 'Thanks. Thanks for doing this. I really needed this tonight. I
really needed an escape, a little fun. Thank you.' And then he'll
nod...and I'll nod back." And I'm watching this, and it finally
registers for me. That's why I staff. The nod. The knowledge that I have
helped to do something that has been wonderful for someone else, and
they appreciated it. I still have people come up to me and say things
like, "You remember when you were staffing at X place and you ran that
great plot? I loved that. I miss those days. Thank you." And that's why
I do it.
- Gaetan Peverel


Some of the things I do, some of the thankless volunteer efforts I
undertake, I do for the nod.  I do it because it might help someone.
Someone else might some use for what I've done, or enjoyed something I
worked on.

The nod.

Mike
-- 
"Let the power of Ponch compel you!  Let the power of Ponch compel you!"
   -- Zorak on Space Ghost

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