5 Reasons Why We Contribute to Open Source

Open-source technology is often a beneficial choice for companies in their software development phase, especially for developers who are looking for more efficient ways to build products with source code that has already proven to be successful. Going this route contributes to an ever-expanding network that provides tons of awesome benefits for software projects, and brings about high-quality results as well. As the famous developer Eric S. Raymond said in The Cathedral and the Bazaar, “given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.”

Here are five reasons why we contribute to the open source community:

1. To expand upon existing code for the benefit of the community.
   There are often times that we use open-source libraries for a project we’re working on. In doing so, we sometimes uncover missing functionality that we need for our own tasks. To finish our project, we build out the code we require for our own needs, then offer it freely to the community to expand upon for their own use. Open source is all about give and take, allowing developers from all over the world to be more productive, finish projects more rapidly, and offer more frequent updates.
2. To network with other developers with similar interests.
   Contributing to open-source projects also allows us to network with other developers who work in the same industries or share the same interests. With more than 10 million users on Github alone, this often leads to collaboration that can bring about better results than if the developers had just worked on a project on their own. Per Raymond’s Linus’s Law, “Given a large enough beta-tester and co-developer base, almost every problem will be characterized quickly and the fix obvious to someone.” Finding shared interests is especially helpful if you’re working with a particularly small niche as well.
3. Open-source culture resonates with us.
   We believe in the value of open source software and buy in to the culture. It’s more than just “free code”, a common misconception; open source is a community with a strong culture of collaboration and transparency. Developers put their ideas together for the greater good, share their work, and expand upon each other’s code to create high-quality software. Without open source, we wouldn’t have Linux, Apache, Firefox, WordPress, MySQL, to name a few, as well as many other tools we use every day. Ultimately, everyone is working together to facilitate progress. That’s something we can get behind.
4. To develop skills and adhere to best practices when writing code.
   Quality and speed is required in today’s fast-paced development environment, and open source software provides tremendous opportunity. Having so many eyes on your published code can help you discover bugs and address them with a collaborative approach, which not only allows you to network, but also results in better code quality. Seeing how others approach bugs can be an educational experience that changes the way you operate as well. This is a great way for developers of all levels to get creative, hone their skills, and learn from each other in an environment where processes are transparent.
5. To market our skillsets and openly share our work.
   It turns out contributing to open-source software is a great marketing tactic! Who would have thought? The projects we’ve contributed to have publicly demonstrated to our clients our expertise in certain areas and have adeptly conveyed what our team is capable of.

To learn more about why we contribute to and use open source software, schedule an opportunity to connect! team@upstate.agency