[OSGeo-Discuss] are there any unpaid developers?

[Miles Fidelman]

Mark Lucas wrote:
> I think that most of the developers that actively contribute to the OSSIM project are funded through government contracts.  Having said that, most all of them contribute well beyond the time they are paid for.  Often that is to move the baseline towards capabilities that are not covered by customer requirements.  I spend most all of my time securing contracts so we can expand the team.
>
> The core team has worked together over the last decade as the individual contributors have switched companies several times.
>    
This seems fairly typical of successful open source projects - an 
initial period where work is funded by a research grant or an internal 
requirement, evolving into a core team where employers fund time for 
various business purposes, with support broadening over time (e.g., 
writing books, consulting, etc.).

I can't think of any successful (wide adoption, long-term 
sustainability) open source projects that are pure labors of love.

Miles Fidelman

-- 
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In<fnord>  practice, there is.   .... Yogi Berra