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What Motivates Software Developers?

Posted by Cliff on from the why-do-you-code? dept.

TekZen asks: "LWN posted a reference to an ABC News article that claims 'Other than Linux, all the other open-source projects move along at a rate best described as glacial.' The reason? 'This probably is a function of how motivation and lack of fear work among open-source developers.' Are you motivated by fear to develop at work? What motivates you as an Open Source software developer?"

1 of 40 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Simple. by Xtifr · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Aside from the fact that you left out a few motivations, I agree. (And you didn't deserve the "troll" mod, IMO.) The motivations of software developers are much like the motivations of everyone else: money, sex, power, prestige, frustration, curiousity, comfort, etc.[*] There's no mystery here--developers are people, and, generally, have the same motivations as other people.

    The quote, "[o]ther than Linux, all the other open-source projects move along at a rate best described as glacial," is both false and rather stupid, but that's a separate issue. Open source projects, like all projects, move at a variety of rates, some fast, some slow. I'm a little surprised that Dvorak said that, since he's usually not quite that clueless, but then I'm also not quite sure how his article ties into the question of the motivations of developers.

    [*] "Money, sex, power and elephants," is the curious list proposed by Barrayaran ImpSec Chief Simon Illyan.