Open Source Economics

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Author: Ed Skinner
Date:  
Subject: Open Source Economics
On Friday 23 January 2004 15:42, Chris Gehlker wrote:
> On Jan 23, 2004, at 9:43 AM, Phil Mattison wrote:
> > I've been trying to understand the economic rationale behind the open
> > source
> > philosophy, and I think I see an apparent contradiction. From what
> > I've seen
> > so far it seems there are two economic motives for contributing to op=

en
> > source projects. (Ignoring those who do it just for fun.)
>
> The reality is that the best programmers, like the best artists and
> athletes, are going to practice their art regardless of what they get
> paid. Of course they want to be paid fortunes but it doesn't really
> make them more productive.


     Not so.
     Full-time paid programmers turn out more code than someone who does =
it=20
non-professionally simply because of the hours that can be dedicated to t=
he=20
task. If I work 40+ hours at a non-programming job, I simply won't have t=
he=20
time (or energy) to write as much code as someone who does 40+ hours writ=
ing=20
code.


--=20
Ed Skinner, , http://www.flat5.net/