One of the things I hate in the world is people who don’t give back.
I call myself a software socialist because I strongly believe in giving back to the things that make me successful.(This is, in no way, a blanket approval of everything Socalist. Snarky political comments may be deleted.) This is why I give back to WordPress, spend so much time on it, and so on and so forth. Thus, it’s logical (or at least internally consistant) when I say that the part about WordPress that I hate is people who take and never reciprocate. More than this just being a pet peeve, though, people who do this with Open Source code are biting the hands that feed them, and it’s terribly frustrating to watch.
Look. You get this totally awesome software for free. People volunteer (sometimes we’re compensated, sometimes not) to make it better, safer, more secure. And we give these updates, again for free, back to you to make a living from. That gives all of us ownership in the software and a responsibility that I see a lot of people dropping the ball on.
So let me state this for the record: If you use a product that is free that enables you to make your living, and you do not give back in some way, you annoy me.
I’m going to use Mediawiki as an example here. I cut my teeth on it, which is something few of you know. I’ve been using it longer than WordPress, as a self-hosted Wiki install. I learned about caching tools not because of WP, but from Mediawiki. I learned about config files and extensions, and why you never edit core files, and theming all from Mediawiki. It’s safe to say that had it not been for my foray into that world, I’d never ever have been the WordPress Guru I am today.
At the same time, I have never once given a single line of code back to Mediawiki. I’ve probably reported no more than 5 bugs in my lifetime, and it’s not because they don’t exist. I actually do know how to do more than just theme in Mediawiki, I know how to trace a bug and fix it, but given my use-case of it it’s been pretty rare that I’ve even had to report it, because every time I’ve found it already handled in the next release.
By the way, the whole reason I mastered Git? Mediawiki. I needed an easy way to upgrade and keep up with a trunk release that fixed a critical bug for me.
But if I don’t give back code, do I annoy myself? Nope! Much like WordPress has a WordPress Foundation, Mediawiki has a Wikimedia Foundation. And yes, I donate money.
And this is my point. We’ve already proven that sponsored software can work. At the time I wrote this, Aaron Jorbin’s charge to raise money so he could work on Post Formats was a couple hundred from goal. I’m confident that by the time this is posted, it’ll be met. (I’m also confident the Indians will sweep the White Sox, so Aaron, you can do your ten support tickets for Post Formats if you want. If they lose, I’ll patch something for your plugin.)
The point is simple. Giving back is not just code. I talked about this at WordCamp Portland, and I talk about it all the time. You don’t have to code, or file bug reports, all you have to do is be here and do something for the community at large. Heck, if you want to help clean up after a meetup? You gave back!
So please, don’t be greedy. Give back to open source. Don’t just take and take and then complain it’s not everything and more. Do something, anything, that helps someone else. Even if you’re doing it altruistically, you’re not living in a vacuum.
Comments
7 responses to “Give Back Or Die”
I wish more people would follow your lead, Mika. I try to donate to Wikipedia, WordPress Foundation, and other open source projects as well as public radio and television when I can. If there were no people that contributed to anything, we would not have the wonderful culture that we enjoy today and life would be very boring. Thank you for writing on such an awesome topic. 🙂 ❗
Great piece ! ! !
I wish more people wrote on this topic. I am a firm believer is “Community Involvement Makes Better Software”.
In order for something to be free, someone has had to invest a lot of their own time (time they could have been making money for themselves).
I would encourage you Mika, to remember though, it isn’t always the avenue in which you give that brings the rewards back to you. The rewards do come, one way or another. Some more obvious than others.
Thanks for this. I have been a follower of yours for quite a while and I have to say, your contributions have given me a much better understanding of how WordPress Multisite works. Thanks for that. 🙂
Central Geek
@Louis: Sorry, I forgot to check the box to receive updates on this thread.
@Louis: You misunderstand.
As a developer I expect nothing. And that’s a problem.
As a user I get everything. And that too is a problem. I should, as a user, feel an onus to give back to the developers or the community, at they very least, as a thank you.
I don’t expect rewards at all! I’m not asking people to give back to ME (though I get warm fuzzies when they do). Hell, WordPress at large has been HUGE giving to me. But that’s my point. WordPress GIVES to me. A lot. It gave me a new life, a job, the chance to move to a healthier place, it lets me travel and speak, and share my adventures. That’s insane!
So I’ve already got the rewards. And if I don’t give something back? I suck. I’m not saying we, as devs, must be non-altrusitic, I’m saying we as users need to stop being selfish.
If I never once gave back to WP, for everything it’s made me, I would be an absolute shit. If all I did was use, and then complain about it, I would be a shit.
And that’s what I see as a problem.
Give back to someone, something. Say thank you once in a while. It goes a long way 🙂
Hi Mika,
LOL… I had this great, long, philosophical response and then figured out I could say the same by simply pointing to the condition of the world in general. Especially the change in the United States in recent years. It’s the way things are. Those who give will prosper (as you are). Those who take and show no appreciation will continue looking for more and more they can take. And they will never get anywhere until they realize that it is the giving back that brings the rewards. Not just taking.
It would be nice if any of us could get through to the people who show or express no appreciation and just take and take, expect, expect. But, this has been a struggle throughout the history of humanity.
Those who take and give nothing back, well, they can only go as far as what they take will give them. And then they stop, disappear. Takers are seldom satisfied, they take and take and take. They complain, ask for help (My question is “You Suck”), and then go somewhere else and ask the same question. They are miserable people. They will always be that way, until they risk something and give something to someone else. That’s… just… the… way… it… works…
I am in total agreement with you, and my pointing out what I pointed out was more from what I know about your own progress and the position you now have in life and job. And you would not be where you are today had you not been the giver you are, to the WordPress community. I may not have said it as well as I could have, but the point was, my affirming your position, and attempting to share with others that givers prosper. That’s just the way it works.
Give back, it’s good for you. (not talking to Mika here, talking to those who dare to read this).
I agree with Mika, give back. Just start by saying “Thanks”, “Thank you” or anything resembling appreciation. People spend a lot of time and put a lot of effort into providing something useful to the open source (free) software community. It shouldn’t hurt to say “Thanks” in some way.
If you pay for software, then you should expect something from the person or company charging you for that software. There is an obligation created there. But for those who provide you software, or anything for free, at least say “Thanks”. These people have actually invested a lot of time, thought and effort into that free software. A “Thanks” shouldn’t be too big of an effort.
Thank you Mika, for including my comment on your post. And thanks for your response. Oh, and I have an issue with one of your plugins.. lol 😉
Thanks
Louis
Central Geek
@Louis: @Louis: Oh I know that’s ‘the way’ it works. I’d like to change it 🙂
Interestingly this post started as I was pissed off at some developers who never contribute back to core WP, but bitched a lot about 3.7 and how it wasn’t tested enough and so on. I resisted the urge to rip into them, and tried to use it as a way to explain “this is exactly WHY we need you guys to help beta test!”
But they don’t have the time, they said. I gave up.
Hi Mika,
“Oh I know that’s ‘the way’ it works. I’d like to change it 🙂 ” Yes, that would be nice.
And, yes, it read like you were pissed off about something. lol
But, hey.. after all is said and done.. It’s the people who don’t do what they really should, who make people who do, shine just that much brighter.