[nycbug-talk] "The Unity of Unix" by Paul Murphy (ZDNet)

[Marc Spitzer]

On 8/13/05, Francisco Reyes <lists at natserv.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 11 Aug 2005, Marc Spitzer wrote:
> 
> > Also please keep in mind that much of the open source software out
> > there is only developed because it is funded, it does not have a self
> > sustaining mass of volunteers that are committed to it for its own
> > sake.
> 
> I would agree if you said "a number of open source projects".. or a
> "significant percentage".. but "much".. seems to imply a
> significantly large percentage...
> 
> What do you think would be the percentage of open source that is funded?

I would say better than half, with no real proof to back it up.  This
covers paid work, software generated as part of funded research and
people doing it to help them get work.

> 
> 
> Alo you said that once funding goes away the project goes too..
> I would have to disagree with that. No doubt that is true for many
> projects.. which didn't get a critical mass. Of the projects that saw

Perhaps goes away was a poor choice of words, stops would have been better.

> their birth through fundind, I believe that if a large percentage of
> individuals and companies came to depend on the project that it has a
> good chance to survive even after funding goes away.

We look at funding differently, from my pov the above is a switch in
the *source* of funding, not a change in status from funded to not
funded.  A business decision was made by a company to spend
money(developer time) to support a product that is necessary, or just
cheaper then the other options.

I think you are talking about venture capitol or grants.  I am talking
about non hobby time, if someone gets paid to do it it is funding.

marc
>