3 ms·

"Who can afford to do professional work for nothing? What hobbyist can put 3-man years into programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product and distribut

"Who can afford to do professional work for nothing? What hobbyist can put 3-man years into programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product and distribute for free?" Now, this is practically a prerequisite for getting a job at a good company.

DarkShikari 17y ago
What hobbyist can put 3-man years into programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product and distribute for free? This statement also sounds much more ironic from today's perspective, when there are thousands of open source projects that literally run off this concept.
- borism 17y ago
  let's rephrase that a bit: What hobbyist can put 3-man years into programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product and distribute for free for a living?
  - gxs 17y ago
    That is exactly how I took it, and it stands today.
  - shpxnvz 17y ago
    It's not a hobby if you intend to make a living.
    - borism 17y ago
      You can make a living out of hobby. But that's not how most open source developers make a living.
  - whughes 17y ago
    Your rephrasing doesn't make any sense. Bill Gates wants to convince people that hobbyism can't create good software, and he needs the money. Why should the audience (pirates) care about whether hobbyists make a living, as long as they get their software?
    - borism 17y ago
      I was replying to a misconception that somehow today thousands of open source contributors can make a living by simply being that. That's not the case with 99% of open source developers I know.
  - deleted 17y ago
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  - deleted 17y ago
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  - MaysonL 17y ago
    One who sold his startup, or has a big enough 401K, and feels like changing the world instead of making more money.
spot 17y ago
they found all the bugs?? but seriously, gates continues to maintain the fiction that open source = hobbyists not getting paid.
- almost 17y ago
  This letter was written quite some time ago, it's certainly not an attack on open source never mind a continuing one :p
  - spot 17y ago
    i know it's an old letter. what i said was based on what i heard gates say last month. he "continues" it today, in addition to doing it back then.
chriseppstein 17y ago
I've heard of a few companies that have this prerequisite, but only a few. I think open source contributions can tip the scales if you're up against a bunch of great candidates, but I don't think the business world works like you make it sound. In fact, I know lots of companies would actually shy away from open source contributors.
- DarkShikari 17y ago
  I know lots of companies would actually shy away from open source contributors. That's great--a perfect way to filter out companies that I would never want to work for.
- falsestprophet 17y ago
  I know lots of companies would actually shy away from open source contributors. Which companies? Why do you think they do?
  - joshz 17y ago
    I interviewed with one. A .NET web development studio, can't remember who specifically. They called the stuff I did "open-sourcy" and I could tell they looked down on it. I think it's the perception that cheap programmers use cheap tools, produce cheap code and are low quality.
    - TwoSheds 17y ago
      I see a significant difference between the .Net and Java developer cultures. It would be hard for me to believe that a Java shop would behave according to your description.

DarkShikari 17y ago

What hobbyist can put 3-man years into programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product and distribute for free? This statement also sounds much more ironic from today's perspective, when there are thousands of open source projects that literally run off this concept.

borism 17y ago
let's rephrase that a bit: What hobbyist can put 3-man years into programming, finding all bugs, documenting his product and distribute for free for a living?
- gxs 17y ago
  That is exactly how I took it, and it stands today.
- shpxnvz 17y ago
  It's not a hobby if you intend to make a living.
  - borism 17y ago
    You can make a living out of hobby. But that's not how most open source developers make a living.
- whughes 17y ago
  Your rephrasing doesn't make any sense. Bill Gates wants to convince people that hobbyism can't create good software, and he needs the money. Why should the audience (pirates) care about whether hobbyists make a living, as long as they get their software?
  - borism 17y ago
    I was replying to a misconception that somehow today thousands of open source contributors can make a living by simply being that. That's not the case with 99% of open source developers I know.
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
- MaysonL 17y ago
  One who sold his startup, or has a big enough 401K, and feels like changing the world instead of making more money.

spot 17y ago

they found all the bugs?? but seriously, gates continues to maintain the fiction that open source = hobbyists not getting paid.

almost 17y ago
This letter was written quite some time ago, it's certainly not an attack on open source never mind a continuing one :p
- spot 17y ago
  i know it's an old letter. what i said was based on what i heard gates say last month. he "continues" it today, in addition to doing it back then.

chriseppstein 17y ago

I've heard of a few companies that have this prerequisite, but only a few. I think open source contributions can tip the scales if you're up against a bunch of great candidates, but I don't think the business world works like you make it sound. In fact, I know lots of companies would actually shy away from open source contributors.

DarkShikari 17y ago
I know lots of companies would actually shy away from open source contributors. That's great--a perfect way to filter out companies that I would never want to work for.
falsestprophet 17y ago
I know lots of companies would actually shy away from open source contributors. Which companies? Why do you think they do?
- joshz 17y ago
  I interviewed with one. A .NET web development studio, can't remember who specifically. They called the stuff I did "open-sourcy" and I could tell they looked down on it. I think it's the perception that cheap programmers use cheap tools, produce cheap code and are low quality.
  - TwoSheds 17y ago
    I see a significant difference between the .Net and Java developer cultures. It would be hard for me to believe that a Java shop would behave according to your description.