[Geowanking] Measuring Open Source Citenzenship - A Twist

[Frank Warmerdam]

Landon Blake wrote:
> I am curious what the list would think if I modified my original idea
> for an article somewhat. Let's say I drop any concept of a comparison
> standard or a rating system. Let's also say I concentrate not on evil
> companies abuse the management of an open source project, but instead
> talk about what a company can do right and what they might want to
> avoid.
> 
> What if the title/theme of my article became "Going Open Source - Tips
> For Business On Successful Community Building"? The article could
> provide information for businesses that want to become involved in open
> source, and perhaps even release some of their code under open source,
> and are looking for some advice on how to manage that type or release in
> a way that will encourage the growth of a healthy user and developer
> community.

Landon,

This sounds like a very constructive approach.

> P.S. - I think there are still some issues here that deserve some more
> discussion. For example, the idea that "any open source code is good
> code" troubles me a little bit. Are we saying as a wider community that
> we don't care what a companies motives for releasing code is, as long as
> that code is released under an open source license?

I don't think it is important to judge motives.  But clearly lots of
code that is released as open source is either junk, or a distraction.
Some code released as open source is not really worthy of attention.

> I wonder if there are still 2 "camps" in our open source world. There
> are some that approach open source from a very practical,
> business-oriented perspective. Then there are others that believe "open
> source" is part of a wider ideology based on cooperation, mutual
> respect, and similar ideas. I wonder if some behavior would be
> acceptable to the first group, but not at all acceptable to the second
> group. I also wonder which group I find myself in.

Loosely speaking there are two camps and this will color reactions.  Of course
these "camps" are not uniform either.  I am involved in open source for
ideological reasons, but that is more like my private religion.  When I
discuss the matter I try to do so in terms of practical benefits and it is
very important to me to take a broad "big tent" approach - to avoid being
exclusionary.

Best regards,
-- 
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I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | President OSGeo, http://osgeo.org