Steve noticed a post by Asa Dotzler about Paul Ramsey assertion that open source GIS is about developers, not users.
You may have failed (or decided not to even try) to build a product for users and to attract users to that product, but that hardly qualifies you to hand down edicts about what open source is or isn’t about.
Read the whole post here.
Paul responds:
It is just straightforward observation that if you aren’t adding code, documentation, bug reports, or user support to a project, if you are just downloading and using the software, you are not adding any value to the project.
Actually, very true. See Gary Sherman’s post on diminished expectations. Just downloading uDig or QGIS and complaining that it isn’t ArcGIS helps no one. Open source GIS needs users to be involved by providing feedback to help grow the software. That said, you don’t have to do anything if you don’t wish, but complaining about the software without helping the developers doesn’t help anyone.
5 responses so far ↓
1
Andrew Theken
// Aug 28, 2006 at 6:33 pm
Hey James, looks like the link above should be: http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/asa/archives/2006/08/for_the_new_and.html
2
Allan Doyle
// Aug 28, 2006 at 6:36 pm
The link to the article is missing the “l” in .html - http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/asa/archives/2006/08/for_the_new_and.html
3
James Fee
// Aug 28, 2006 at 6:41 pm
Thanks guys, poor cut and paste job.
4
earlycj5
// Aug 29, 2006 at 2:34 pm
I’ve used QGIS, and I will likely continue to. However, Gary Sherman’s complaint runs both ways. Support from the developers is appreciated too. Qgis is one project where I’ve always felt somewhat unwelcome to ask questions when I’ve had problems.
OpenModeller on the other hand, as an example, has been great whenever I’ve had problems compiling or using.
5
Paul
// Feb 23, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Doesn’t downloading - for example - Open Office - in place of MS Office - and evangelizing Open Office to my friends and family to do likewise (and they do) and breeding general loyalty to an open source brand count for anything?
Users are consumers - even if they didn’t pay - and consumers ALWAYS count … well, USUALLY ALWAYS count…
More to the point; I push MapGuide and CartoWeb as far as I can and wait for new releases - - what, now I’m a pirate because I don’t contribute?
The very thought that consumers don’t matter is exactly why developers haven’t taken over the world. Tunnel vision is great for programming, not so great for life.
Long live the free rider!
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