Given that we use technology widely to support our lifestyles and workflows, and that it's frustrating whenever technology doesn't work as expected, it staggers

Given that we use technology widely to support our lifestyles and workflows, and that it's frustrating whenever technology doesn't work as expected, it staggers me that we rely on proprietary systems when we have a global talent pool available to investigate and fix problems, and add features. Yes, not all software modifications are straightforward, and not all contributions can be accepted straight away, but with careful review and guidance (aided by issue trackers, code review, and supportive communities), there's a path to continuous, collaborative improvement. There are certainly challenges in FOSS development: how to ensure that contributors have their needs covered (and ideally exceeded), how to deal with (rare, almost hypothetical) predatory/troll projects that would try to acquire work effort without providing value in return, and how to ensure that projects and contributors alike understand and work within legal bounds that they're comfortable with. For the latter item, thankfully, many real-world situations can be resolved via good faith communication.