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Making it modular also makes it repeatable, which is a huge internal benefit. eBay has been pretty liberal in letting me open source the things I've asked to.

Making it modular also makes it repeatable, which is a huge internal benefit. eBay has been pretty liberal in letting me open source the things I've asked to. The only requirements that I know of are that it: 1) Isn't sufficiently complex to be considered proprietary, 2) Doesn't presume on eBay-internal infrastructure, and 3) Has a name that doesn't infringe any public trademarks. Whenever I start working on a new feature, I design a generic library and then test it by writing a proprietary implementation. There are many benefits to working this way. Most importantly, I can share an exact replica of my environment modulo any project-specific code, which makes reporting dependency bugs or soliciting architectural feedback trivial when it would usually be nearly impossible. It also means I'll always have access to the tools I create here, regardless of what happens to my projects, my team, or my relationship with eBay. Even if no one else ever found the stuff I've released useful, it's been beneficial for me to be able to share it.

angersock 12y ago
Does eBay own all of your code at any time, or just while working on the clock there?
- bsimpson 12y ago
  For salaried employees in California, your employer can claim ownership of any IP you create that's related to one of their current or reasonably anticipated products (e.g. _anything_ if you work for a tech borg). There's an exception for things you can prove you were working on before they hired you. The law is actually designed to product employees (so your ad network employer can't sue you if you work on fitness apps in your spare time), but modern large companies have their fingers in every pie.
  - eropple 12y ago
    The good news, such as it is, is that most employers I've run into will be understanding and will work with you if you ask to redline problematic clauses before you start. (If they won't, that's a sign not to work there.)
    - angersock 12y ago
      I've found our company, once concerns we're articulated, to be pretty open to addressing these sorts of concerns.

angersock 12y ago

Does eBay own all of your code at any time, or just while working on the clock there?

bsimpson 12y ago
For salaried employees in California, your employer can claim ownership of any IP you create that's related to one of their current or reasonably anticipated products (e.g. _anything_ if you work for a tech borg). There's an exception for things you can prove you were working on before they hired you. The law is actually designed to product employees (so your ad network employer can't sue you if you work on fitness apps in your spare time), but modern large companies have their fingers in every pie.
- eropple 12y ago
  The good news, such as it is, is that most employers I've run into will be understanding and will work with you if you ask to redline problematic clauses before you start. (If they won't, that's a sign not to work there.)
  - angersock 12y ago
    I've found our company, once concerns we're articulated, to be pretty open to addressing these sorts of concerns.