It’s been about three years since I first started to take the Open Source phenomenon seriously and only the last two years that I have been using WordPress on this blog. All in all, a relatively short time.
It would appear that many folks are drawn to Open Source because it’s free. Gone are the days, in the Software Industry anyway, that free means cheap and nasty or low quality. The reality is that Open Source software has evolved and is now on even keel quality-wise with equivalent proprietary solutions. In many cases Open Source Software is of a superior quality to it’s Proprietary cousin (eg: OpenOffice vs MS Office).
However, there is more to this free aspect than what meets the eye. To think of free as something one can get for nothing without giving something back in return is IMHO a very ignorant view of what the whole Open Source thing is all about.
If folks only ever took and never gave anything back then Open Source would not be sustainable – software applications and projects would come and go without ever having a chance to mature into a solid, reliable and a feature rich product.
Personally, I am drawn to Open Source because it’s philosophy encourages a balance between giving and receiving – like a barter system if you like. The thing that I really like about this idea of a balance between what we take and what we give back is that it encompasses a paradigm or a way of interacting with our environment that this planet is desperate for.
One of the plugins I use on this blog and have used for some time is WP-to-Twitter (IMHO best Twitter plugin for WordPress). The WP-to-Twitter plugin posts a Twitter status update from your blog using a URL Shortening service of choice to provide a link back to your post from the popular Twitter short message service.
Bear with me – I’m slowly coming to the gist and title of this story…
The other day I discovered an issue with my installation of WP-to-Twitter and in the process of visiting the plugin’s site to investigate possible fixes I found this at the top of the screen:
Do you notice anything out of the ordinary? The thing that instantly struck me was that the author has only ever received a grand total of $384 in donations for his efforts and contributions to the WordPress community. An average of a quarter of a cent for each download of the plugin!
Why would Joe (plugin author) persist despite the lack of financial reward for his efforts? Well folks, if you can understand this then you are well on your way to understanding the spirit and community behind most Open Source efforts.
There are many ways to give back to a software project, to an author or to a community. Although money does go a long way in this day and age – it does not always have to be a cash donation. Here’s some of the other ways that I have found that allow me to give something back to the WordPress Plugin community:
- Donate a few bucks. (As much or as little as you can afford)
- Provide technical support. (Most plugins have an associated forum)
- Rate the plugin. (WordPress)
- Dedicate a page on your blog to the plugins you run. (See mine)
- Write a post (eg. this post)
So are you a WordPress tight arse or are you one of those people that give back to your community?
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I totally agree. I used the plugin wp-table reloaded on the website of my work. Tobias is the guy who made the plugin. I talked with him regarding the excellent work he has been doing and to see if could help me develop a hook for the plugin. I told him I was going to compensate him for his effort by donating 25 euro. He almost fell of his chair, because usually he has to ask people to donate if he does work for them.
http://tobias.baethge.com/2010/03/extension-6-showing-only-rows-that-match-a-filter/
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I really appreciate this post, Robert! I write WordPress plugins because that’s my way of giving to the open source community – but it doesn’t change the fact that I have to make a living, too. Your appreciation for what’s involved in authoring and maintaining a plugin is something I’m very thankful for!
Thank you!
Tru’. Lets keep the balance alive!
See you in PNG in July :)
Got to get my visa 1st!
Obviously it is nice to donate some money but don’t you think the main purpose to create an open source product to give away for free is ‘automated backlinks’?!
That means thousands or even hundreds of thousands of free backlinks to their site which many creators seem to profit from. Either they have ads on their site or affiliate products which they promote.
Note also most of the backlinks are there for many many years. In other words permanent free backlinks. I have come across several product creators, be it wp plugins or some free sofware which they give away for free tgat includes their url anchor text. Many product creators would not spend hours upon hours for a few lousy hundred dollars. They think long term and that is backlinks.
Ata,
A valid point you raise however having participated/contributed to several Open Source projects over the years and having studied the Open Source phenomenon – I firmly believe that the primary motivator for those that participate in Open Source developments is much more that just obtaining back links to their site. When one understands the energy behind what it is that excites and drives individuals to give their time freely is to truly understand the philosophy and culture behind this trend that is rocking the software industry to it core.
Robert