The Birth of a Community

Welcome to episode fourteen … … of the Open Source Utopia Podcast. Yes, real magic does happen … … when software projects go open source, but that magic is no fluke. For the magic of open source to happen, there has to be a real wish for it. And it requires real work. Although some open source software projects … … do start off as a community initiative … … from the get-go, most of them do not. Instead, they start out with a developer … … scratching an often very personal itch, and solving some very specific problems. “Oh, I wish that was possible.” “Ah, I wish that was easier to do.” Anyway, these software projects … … will remain a solitary exercise, and not at all open source, unless and until the developer … … decides to make them public. But making it public is not enough, in order to reap the benefits … … of open source community contribution. An open source project will languish in obscurity … … if the developer doesn't put in an extra effort … … on top of the work that goes into the software's code. Fostering a community around a software project … … requires true parenting. It comes with joys, but also sleepless nights. Therefore, we should celebrate … … every open source project … … with a vibrant community. And help those that need some extra love and care. Remember that every project required a leap of faith … … in you and me, to be where they are today. The best thing you can do is join.