More Users was [RE: More reference document about TDK]

["Riley, Cameron" <CR...@ekmail.com>]

Probably writing for the converted, but for those who dont fully understand
the process yet, this may explain why some of the contributors get their
tails up from time to time. This also isnt aimed at Ewan, as he is already
having a go. It is just an explanation that is good to be reminded of every
now and then.

>(I can't believe you guys are requesting people to help 
>with spellchecking existing documentation when you almost 
>have none!)

With the opensource system, if you find any deficiency in the project, the
onus is on you to redress that deficiency. Opensource projects provide you
with the means and mechanism to not only remove inadequecies in any part of
the project but also to improve the project. Without this positive feedback
loop an opensource project dies. Opensource doesnt improve by advocacy,
mindshare, or by having 10 million users, it improves by the participation
and contribution from the user community. 

What that boils down to is, if you see something wrong and do nothing about
it, the opensource system hasnt failed you, *you* have failed the opensource
system. 

So if I am missing a needed feature in Turbine and I do nothing about it, it
is my own fault for not getting off my lazy arse and taking advantage of the
participation opensource allows. One of the things that really annoys me is
the continual slagging of some of the other opensource projects that get
more media time. It is ok slagging a propietary product as often you have no
other way of getting your neck into the user-development feedback loop. But
slagging an opensource project is ignorant. The whole mechanism exists to
empower the user. If there is something that would cause that person to slag
a project then it means enough to them to do something about it. In simpler
words, fix it! :) 


>I'll say it again - doesn't it break your hearts to have 
>such a huge (and presumably excellent) body of code available, 
>for free as Open Source, and not have more users?

As a rule marketers count bodies lol. With a proprietary product, if I like
it, the only way I am allowed to participate in it's improvement is by
buying it. The more I buy, the more likely it is to be successful and
provide me with something stable and persistent in the future to develop and
deploy with. The more users that buy the proprietary product, add to the
companies ability to improve that product. This includes not only the cost
of the development but all the other stuff that goes along with it, like
profit, marketing etc. So my buying dollars dont directly go to the
improvement of that product, even so lots of users is good for a proprietary
products future. 

Using Turbine as an opensource example, its continued improvement and
success is directly proportional to the user community *participation*. If I
contribute something to Turbine then 100% of my "something" has gone to
improve Turbine, rather than a tiny percentage of the purchase price I paid
for a proprietary product. One contributing user in an opensource project
would be worth 10,000 sold units of a proprietary product. In both cases the
same amount or value of improvements would result. 

For the above reason, the "more users" isnt important in opensource, we all
use Turbine for our own reasons. But contributing and participating is
definately important for the improvement of an opensource project, and in
our case Turbine. Contributing and participating in Turbine is a commonality
we should all share :)





cam



Cameron Riley
criley@ekmail.com

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Turbine Documentation Project
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