Open Source Users Commitment

Working in an open source software (OSS) world, I live and breath it, and increasingly I see the benefits of OSS everywhere I look. While I still come up against OSS-resistance from some companies, it often comes from the top. At the developer level, OSS is being used - often in simple, productive and useful ways - "below the radar" of the higher management. I think that's cool - its fantastic that OSS is making in-roads in all sizes shapes and types of company.

I think OSS users are gaining immense value from the projects they use - I'm an OSS user as well as a developer myself - and I think we owe those projects in return. No, I don't think it's money that's owed, though of course that's always nice (used fivers are always welcome)!

I think they owe one thing above all - feedback.

I know I'm guilty myself... I don't always send an email, pass on a bug report, fill in a JIRA.
When you run across a bug, or an improvement or you have a cool idea, that is something really simple that you can offer in return for using the project.

So repeat after me:

I will file a bug report,
I will file a bug report,
I will file a bug report!