Laura's Box of Chocolates

Peanuts in Coke

Love it. They fizz when they hit the soda--making a snapping sound in the bottle (glass bottle is recommended...) and you just can't beat the sweet and salty taste, the crunchy soda. It's a contradiction in terms--a lovely juxtaposition.

Like Making Money and Open Source. There's a juxtaposition for you. One that many are looking at.  I'm not so sure it will be as easy as putting peanuts in your coke.

Open Source...it's on main street now. I know this because Kevin the shoeshine guy at 42nd street entrance of Grand Central Station is talking about it. He knows the business struggles. He knows what the challenges are. He knows where it's at and talks about it all the time. What is the greatest challenge for open source?  Making sure it stays open. What's the greatest opportunity for open source?  Accessibility.  Yes, hes' got all the lingo down.

I sat next to a linux developer on the plane on the way home from a get together this weekend and he was working hard on a hack for Fedora. He was having a grand time, as he was watching Madagasscar and chasing raisinets as they rolled off the seat-back tray.  Weariing a Keppler's t'shirt, with TOOL written on his hand in black magic marker.  He was a committed Linux developer. Not making money. But loving it.

And those who are asking, how do you make money from Open Source? Yes, like all great recipes for communities, there's room for a 1/4 teaspoon of business strategy as well. If your project receives an offer of a large contribution of money from a large corporation, do you take it? (Yes, but realize the risks to the ethos of the development process when status reports or deadlines begin to be imposed on the project)  If your project receives interest and a large number of contributors from a single corporate source, do you take take it?  (Yes, but realize the pace of development may make it impossible for part time contributors to stay engaged.)  All these questions and many more are an inflection point for most open source projects.

And then, how about the starving developer? Or the one who dreams of hitting the big number...where a big company acquires your project indirectly...read: Gnome, GlueCode...what happens to the project then? These are the big questions as open source moves in your neighborhood.

Oh, and do give peanuts in your coke a try. I'd love to hear what you think!