[Python-Dev] altruism

[Antoine Pitrou]

Brett Cannon <brett <at> python.org> writes:
> 
> Trust me, if you are doing open source for
> anything other than altruistic reasons you are bound to be
> disappointed.

I'm surprised by this statement but perhaps it's a matter of vocabulary.
Having fun and doing things you like to do does not strike me as "altruistic".
Being involved in a FOSS project is not the same as participating in a charity.

See this quick presentation about motivation of FOSS developers (second slide
says: "Altruism? Not really"):
http://www.infonomics.nl/FLOSS/papers/20030619/index.htm
The full study is at:
http://www.infonomics.nl/FLOSS/report/index.htm
("Part IV: Survey of Developers")

(but of course there's the question of whether "altruism" exists at large, or is
a political and moral fiction)

Regards

Antoine.