[PLUG] Downturns - more or less open source coders?

[Carlos Konstanski]

On Mon, 24 Nov 2008, Keith Lofstrom wrote:

> Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:14:20 -0800
> From: Keith Lofstrom <keithl at kl-ic.com>
> Reply-To: keithl at keithl.com,
>     "General Linux/UNIX discussion and help;	civil and on-topic"
>     <plug at lists.pdxlinux.org>
> To: PLUG <plug at lists.pdxlinux.org>
> Subject: [PLUG] Downturns - more or less open source coders?
> 
>
> We are entering a time of low employment for technical folk.  I
> am a self-employed chip-slinger, so I am spending a lot of time
> preparing sales pitches and working on new products to find more
> business.  But I wonder what the software people are doing.
>
> So, two questions for those of you that sometime participate in
> open source software projects:
>
> If you lost your job, and had time on your hands, would you be
> more or less likely to contribute to open source projects?  Do you
> see open source as a good advertising method and resume filler, or
> do you see it as a distraction from job searches, desperate min-wage
> fill-in work, daytime TV, and getting drunk in your trailer?
>
> If you wanted to do more open source in your newly expanded spare
> time, what would help you do so?
>
> Keith

Whenever I write software, the goal is to streamline business
processes.  This results in savings.  Usually these savings can be
realized in well under a year.  I use this as the main selling point
with clients.  I may start by writing a website, but it doesn't take
long before I notice the way they enter the same data into 3 different
systems, all manually, with no checks for consistency.  For every
application I've written that has a user interface, I've written a
dozen jobs that are invisible, with the purpose to tie two disparate
systems together, usually to perform automatic data migration.  In
fact, most of the visible apps I've written fulfill similar purposes.
Upload a csv file, push a button, done!

If I lost my job, I would certainly work on open source projects more.
I always want to; but I rarely have time.  I want to contribute to
those projects which I have used heavily in my professional work, like
JDEE and slime.  I wish I could be a steady contributor in the gentoo
lisp herd.

The #1 factor in failing to devote myself entirely to open source work
is money.  If I were to win the lottery, I would immediately start an
open souce campaign (and quit my job, of course).

Although my wish to work on the above mentioned projects comes from a
desire to give back to a community that has given so much to me, I
have to admit that working on certain projects can really help a
resume when looking for certain jobs.  But I don't want to work for an
employer in a typical corporate environment any more, so that's not a
big motivator.  (There are rare exceptions; I have had one or two
really great bosses.  Their greatness compared against the average
middle manager proves the rule.)  There are relatively few employers
who would even take notice of open souce project participation.  These
employers would be more intrigued by Oracle experience or J2EE
certification.  But those jobs where it would count are the best jobs.

Carlos Konstanski