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> if you're going to use an open source tool in your business's codebase, you'll inevitably need support, upgrades, and bug-fixes I started using open source s

> if you're going to use an open source tool in your business's codebase, you'll inevitably need support, upgrades, and bug-fixes I started using open source software and tools almost exactly 20 years ago in my career as an embedded software engineer. In exactly one case a company I worked for needed support from the developer, and in that case they hired the developer, ESR, to enhance his project, GPSd. Perhaps it is different in other parts of the software world. From what I hear, the web dev folks like to shake and bake large collections of 3rd party libraries and tools. In my experience however, companies I've worked for have never placed the burden on open source devs to fix issues or add capabilities. They paid employees and contractors to do it, and generally, where appropriate, fed those contributions back to the community. I do feel companies are not supportive enough of open source software, but I do not feel there is any burden placed on developers of said software other than those that they choose to take on themselves.

didibus 6y ago
I don't think the pressure is always, or even ever from the company to the open source maintainers. Instead it will be from the developers working for the company, who are asked to deliver their feature, and require improvements or new features from open source to help them do it. They will personally cut issues, possibly insist, be rude, and name call the project or maintainers when they can't get traction. I think this might happen also from University students who are similarly stuck for a school project of some sort. Mind you, most people don't do that, but it takes only a few bad apples.
- 01100011 6y ago
  > Mind you, most people don't do that, but it takes only a few bad apples. Agreed. Frankly OSS wouldn't have gotten this far if that wasn't the case.
raxxorrax 6y ago
Agreed, although I am also mostly an embedded dev. I think the social aspect of GitHub creates most of the pressure and I do not like that it is seen as synonymous with open source. Nobody stops you from just not adhering to requests. If people get nervous they can fork and do it themselves. My company uses open source (who doesn't?) and would never think to place anything on open source devs.

didibus 6y ago

I don't think the pressure is always, or even ever from the company to the open source maintainers. Instead it will be from the developers working for the company, who are asked to deliver their feature, and require improvements or new features from open source to help them do it. They will personally cut issues, possibly insist, be rude, and name call the project or maintainers when they can't get traction. I think this might happen also from University students who are similarly stuck for a school project of some sort. Mind you, most people don't do that, but it takes only a few bad apples.

01100011 6y ago
> Mind you, most people don't do that, but it takes only a few bad apples. Agreed. Frankly OSS wouldn't have gotten this far if that wasn't the case.

raxxorrax 6y ago

Agreed, although I am also mostly an embedded dev. I think the social aspect of GitHub creates most of the pressure and I do not like that it is seen as synonymous with open source. Nobody stops you from just not adhering to requests. If people get nervous they can fork and do it themselves. My company uses open source (who doesn't?) and would never think to place anything on open source devs.