[OSGeo-Discuss] Your open source career

[Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)]

Hi everyone,
We've probably all heard of the typical business models for open  
source companies, but I'm working on a few slides for a presentation  
that highlight the benefit of open source for employees - and would  
love to hear from some of you.

I have some personal examples where open source made me a more  
valuable employee, and how other colleagues who were into open source  
were considered invaluable.  I also believe the many employers who  
value open source are able to attract talented staff that  
"traditional" or "proprietary" employers cannot.

Do you have a story about how embracing open source geospatial  
applications helped broaden the opportunities for your future or  
helped you bust out of a mundane box?  Maybe you learned on your own  
time and brought your new skills into the office?  I'm particularly  
interested in your personal stories about how open source may have  
motivated you to grow, learn and extend your career or professional  
set of tools.

Anyone want to share?

Best wishes,
Tyler