[LRUG] Paths to open source contributions

[George Palmer]

I wrote a CouchDB adapter for Rails that mimicks the ActiveRecord API.
 I ended up doing this because I started using the existing libraries
and became really frustrated with them (being used to the depth of the
AR API).  So in the end I decided to roll my own.  It's not for
everybody as it's quite opinionated in how it uses CouchDB as a
database, but then you could say the same about Rails in general.

Hope that helps!

George

--

Hello,-

I've been browsing the often impressive open source contributions of some of
the Rails / Ruby luminaries when it struck me that I don't really understand
how most open source projects originate. Essentially what I'd like to know
is whether such contributions are most typically the bi-product of some main
development effort or are they conceptualized and implemented for their own
sake, from the very start.

So if you have open source contributions, I hope you'll shed some light as
to why you have them:

  1. You were solving a problem for yourself (a pet project perhaps), and
  ended up with extra code that you released as open source;
  2. You were working on someone else's problem (such as a client's), and
  ended up with extra code that you released as open source;
  3. You were bored and decided to make a contribution for the fun of it;
  4. You were being strategic. You realized that for the Kool Kids to work
  with you and the Beautiful People to go to bed with you, you NEED to have
  open source contributions before we arrive at web 3.12. (This is the path
  I'm feeling irresistibly pulled towards, by the force of destiny).

As I realize that human behaviour is often influenced by several factors,
compound answers (such as 1&4; or 3&4) are of particular interest.

Thanks!

/ Vahagn