The simplest and best answer is because it gives me pleasure. I don't think any other answer would be true. It involves daily work, sometimes in crazy amounts. I have no hopes that this work will make me rich, also I'm realistic enough to not believe that I will be one day as prestigious like ESR or others.
It is my passion, it always was. I like to stay in front of my computer 12 hours a day, I like to write software, I like to give it away, I like to be critiqued about my mistakes, I like to surf the WEB, these are the simple things which make my day, and I am happy about them.
On the other hand, it is something related to some specific "cultures". If you look, OpenSource/Free software is more pregnant around specific platforms (Linux, BSD, Be,...) and specific programming languages (C/C++, Perl, Python, Java). Before the Linux revelation, when I was just a DOS/Windows user, I didn't know about sharing, giving away and this seems to be related somehow with the Proprietary Software Culture. Even today, you will still find very few free VB or Deplhi programs.
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Why I do it? Good question!
...) and specific programming languages (C/C++, Perl, Python, Java). Before the Linux revelation, when I was just a DOS/Windows user, I didn't know about sharing, giving away and this seems to be related somehow with the Proprietary Software Culture. Even today, you will still find very few free VB or Deplhi programs.
The simplest and best answer is because it gives me pleasure. I don't think any other answer would be true. It involves daily work, sometimes in crazy amounts. I have no hopes that this work will make me rich, also I'm realistic enough to not believe that I will be one day as prestigious like ESR or others.
It is my passion, it always was. I like to stay in front of my computer 12 hours a day, I like to write software, I like to give it away, I like to be critiqued about my mistakes, I like to surf the WEB, these are the simple things which make my day, and I am happy about them.
On the other hand, it is something related to some specific "cultures". If you look, OpenSource/Free software is more pregnant around specific platforms (Linux, BSD, Be,