[OSGeo-Discuss] are there any unpaid developers?

miblon moblin at dogodigi.net
Mon Apr 19 23:30:20 PDT 2010


I am selfemployed since january 2007. In the years 2008 and 2009 I spent 
a lot of time on OpenStreetMap. Developing small tools such as the 
mod_osm for joomla, the poi-editor and some minor fixes here and there, 
and mapped large parts of the Island of Aruba.

I still spend about 6 hours a week on OpenStreetMap and I use GeoServer 
at my own webserver, not (yet) paid by any customers for hosting maps there.

I also answer questions on the lists and IRC channels for mapserver, 
osgeo-discuss, osm. Basically, about 20% of my time is unpaid. But it 
helps me to gain knowledge and it caused me to get hired here and there.

As an example AND Automotive Navigation Data got tipped by Steve Coast 
(OpenStreetMap founder) that I might be able to help them with setting 
up map20.org, So they hired me for 3 months and then offered me a year 
contract for two days a week. Indirectly I think it is well worth the 
time invested in myself and yes, I am able to feed myself and my family 
thanks to Open Source!


> Ian Turton ha scritto:
>> One of my students was asking today about the open source development
>> process (with special reference to geospatial projects). One question
>> I'm left with is are there any OSGEO developers who are doing this
>> just for the fun and fame? I know that a lot of us have fun developing
>> but everyone I could think of (GeoTools, GeoServer, uDig) gets paid to
>> have that fun.



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