Jeff Greenberg wrote:
I don't think there's anything wrong with free, or with people making
code available if they wish. I tend to draw the line, in my own head,
when people begin to treat it as compulsory. Donating time is a
donation. Seems simple, but I think that's beyond a lot of folks. Like
any donation, it's up to each person what they feel they can 'afford' to
donate, and not up to the people receiving the donation to tell them
it's insufficient.
Not only that, but people who may not release code can (and do) give
back in other ways. The knowledge I obtain while writing code that isn't
released into the wild can come in handy when people ask questions on
the support list. There are also times when working on private code you
might realize a way in which core or a contrib module could run more
efficiently, or have some new great feature. You find that out and go
fill out a ticket and (hopefully) a patch.
Giving back code is a great contribution to the project, but only one
way to contribute. The key to a great OS project is the organic nature
of it - every little part acting as an organ to support the life of the
whole body. Some remain as simpler life forms, very few organisms
working that well together, while others flourish into full blown bodies
comparable to humans. As for Drupal - well we are close to being the Six
Million Dollar Man :D
Jamie Holly
http://www.intoxination.net
http://www.hollyit.net
