Fri 20 Nov 2009 |
Investing in Joomla! Development
Written by Elin Waring
With more than 13.8 million downloads, hundreds of thousands of users, and millions of Web sites worldwide Joomla! is the world's most popular open source content management system. With this immense growth has come great challenges and great opportunities to address them.
Some of you may have guessed already that there is something different and exciting in the air particularly around Joomla! 1.6. About eight weeks ago OSM decided to conduct an experiment. Joomla! has been lucky to have key contributors to the project remain for the long haul, and thanks to a targeted fundraising effort we found sponsorships to pay Louis Landry and Andrew Eddie to each spend 1 to 2 days a week working on Joomla! development. So far we're extremely happy with the results.
Andrew and Louis' assignments are specific.The impact of Andrew having large blocks of time on an ongoing basis has been highly visible to people who follow development. We've seen fast movement on highly complex challenges in the ACL and other critical infrastructure pieces while he's wide awake. In the case of Louis, in addition to writing code, he's been doing important work in reconstructing the development infrastructure (which will be debuting soon) as well as working with the release team, development coordination and being available for consultation with people working on code.
Louis and Andrew have been providing immense energy to the creation of Joomla 1.6. In short, we think our experiment of investing in two of the project's most senior developers and architects has provided handsome returns for our community in just the past two months.
The decision to try this followed long discussion within the OSM board and the Community Oversight Committee. As part of this, we agreed that we needed to do systematic assessment of its impact. Assessing the experiment thus far, two themes emerged: we're seeing faster and higher quality outputs and a more relaxed and energized development team. Ole Ottosen sums up the results so far: "We have seen some great level of activity on 1.6 from them, and maybe more important, some relaxed people that send out good vibes of enjoying it more." In a recent review, both Louis and Andrew expressed how happy they are to be able to do this work. "I'm loving it" is how Andrew summarized it.
The experiment was started with just the involvement of the leadership teams so that we could work out implementation details and focus, in particular, on what the impact on the functioning of the Production Leadership Team would be.
To date, we are pleased with the progress of the experiment and will continue to monitor its over the coming months. Having done this groundwork we are now ready to move to the next phase and look at the important question of the impact this has on development processes and the functioning of the broader production working group. We'll do assessment of this starting in about 8 weeks (mid January 2010). At the same time we will continue to monitor 1.6 development and the responses of the leadership teams.
In doing this, OSM is making a strategic investment to make Andrew and Louis's time available to Joomla!. Andrew and Louis were both able to commit the time on fairly short notice and were excited about the opportunity to take on this work. They both care passionately about the Joomla! Project, and they are thrilled to be able to work on it at times other than nights and weekends.
We've been fortunate to have these two key developers in our project volunteer so much time and energy for such a long period of time. Based on our community's ecology, and the terrific growth of our third party developer community, OSM is pleased to begin taking this important step forward for the community. This step puts Joomla! in line with most, if not all, mature large open source projects in having key developers compensated for their work (whatever the mechanisms).
This is strictly a contractual arrangement between OSM and Louis and Andrew. The intent is that it have no impact on relationships within the Production Leadership Team or between the Production Leadership Team and members of the Production Working Group. The development coordinators are the development coordinators, they have certain responsibilities and authority as such, and they still have them.
Andrew is a committer and member of the Production Working Group. He still is and will continue to work under the direction of the development coordinators. Louis is a development coordinator and he'll continue to work in the same way that he has with the other coordinators. In recent debriefings the development coordinators indicated across the board that they are happy with how the experiment is going.
The vision of the Joomla! Project (as expressed in its Mission, Vision and Values) is to both produce great software and to continue as an independent and community driven project, and this initiative is one way that OSM is supporting both of these goals.
We welcome financial support for this initiative and will be posting more about sponsorship opportunities in the coming weeks. In the meantime if you are interested in sponsorsing please feel free to email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
We're excited with what's happening in the project. The growth, the community engagement, the events, the opening up of development and most of all the great progress in building "a flexible platform for digital publishing and collaboration." It's wonderful to see the Joomla! Project maturing and for OSM to be able to provide the resources to assure long term stability and continued growth.
2009-11-20 14:13:03
Love you guys!
2009-11-20 14:27:40
thanks for pointing me in right direction
2009-11-20 14:43:42
2009-11-20 15:08:56
I know allot of you reading my comments are making a living from the project. If this Open Source Project earns you money, its time you consider investing some of those hard earned dollars back into the software that feeds your families. If we all put a little money into the sponsorship we can build a better foundation for our Joomla based businesses. We are all a team working together to make Joomla better.
Send a email to our "team" and break out your pocket books. I would think $50.00 dollars is better then nothing.
Keep up the good work. I'll be looking out for your sponsorship details. You can count me in 100% .
I know allot of you like me are making a living from the project.
If we all put a little money into the sponsorship we can build a better foundation for our businesses.
Keep up the good work. I'll be looking out for your sponsorship details.
Gary Brooks |CEO
CloudAccess.net
2009-11-20 15:14:26
2009-11-20 15:38:17
But sometimes a good idea is just a good idea. If you can speed the project along while starting to compensate contributors... that's just a wonderful thing.
For whatever my opinion is worth, I think this is a great idea and makes tons of business sense.
Brad
PICnet
2009-11-20 16:54:32
2009-11-20 17:18:26
I did notice the increase in activity and was wondering where Andrew (and Louis) got the time from, now I know. Thanks for communicating this to the community.
Steadily we as a community are growing, not only in numbers, and I am glad to see that.
2009-11-20 18:19:05
Go Joomla!
2009-11-20 18:22:26
2009-11-20 20:40:53
Just don't give all the fun work to the contractors; it tends to send all the talented folks to other projects where they can sink their teeth into something more challenging and meaningful.
2009-11-20 22:04:29
Keep in mind that Toowoomba City Council paid me to work on Mambo almost full time for 18 months - and that worked out generally ok
The other aspect is that I've found I now have time I can allocate to coaching the next generation of Joomla master developers which is actually more important than me writing the code itself.
2009-11-20 22:31:49
"We welcome financial support for this initiative and will be posting more about sponsorship opportunities in the coming weeks"
I hope you do put up a place where anybody can donate to this cause, and the more money raised, the more developers that get an oppurtunity to get paid. I would like to regularly contribute to this, and I guess there would be hundreds or thousands more like me.
I know there is already the ability to donate to OSM, but the reality is that there is no public record of donation spending, and I think donations would be much more forthcoming if there was the knowledge that it was going directly to 1.6 development.
I agree with Johns comments above, I think it is worth being cautious with this approach, so that there is still oppurtunities for talented developers to join Joomla CMS development, instead of a paid old boys club. I think this is unlikely to happen, as there is so so much to do in Joomla 1.6/1.7 and beyond.
2009-11-20 23:16:55
Unfortunately, it's also a yellow warning flag that, for some reason, the biggest community-driven OS CMS (Joomla!) is having serious challenges recruiting and activating volunteers.
Hopefully this transition can help generate volunteer interest, if that's Joomla/OSM's goal. It'll be challenging for the leadership there, and I'd imagine even trickier than normal, given the awkward organizational structure of J/OSM/COC (who's on first?).
At the end of the day, progress is a powerful motivator, so the long-anticipated launch of 1.6 will be a welcome shot in the arm to the project, accomplished in part via outsourced efforts.
2009-11-21 00:45:34
Keep up all the good work .
Provide further details about how to make a donation.At the same time , it would be useful if there can be regular updates about how the money is being spent.
2009-11-21 09:43:13
Joomla! is worth a ton of gold, but it's we who use it for free, that earns the doe.
I would love to give back for what I get - so count me in when the sponsorship details are ready.
Admin
3wPoker
2009-11-22 17:34:23
Pay people for shorter dev cycle & higher quality standard is the best investment that could be done ever to consolidate the Joomla project. This should have been done years ago. Go for more people, and we will have a 2.0 in 12 months
At least some significant change in the Joomla project. Congrats
I am now waiting for real Mkt & Communication FRESH outputs. The joomla project is lacking critical skill to become a reference in the profesional realm.
2009-11-23 22:07:39
2009-11-24 03:45:27
2009-11-24 10:56:27
2009-11-25 06:48:32
2009-11-25 12:57:15
To quote Arno Zijlstra on some questions he had in this discussion:
2009-11-25 16:30:29
2009-11-26 12:00:59
2009-11-27 10:02:03
2009-11-29 23:54:10
I am against paying developers within the Joomla! project. OSM is acting in areas that are well beyond original intentions for the group and continuing down this path is a very slippery slope to a commercial project. In January, when we review this exercise, I hope we decide it's more important to address the real problems we are facing rather than take short cuts, like this.
We have a problem with community engagement. It is residual from our movement to the GPL. While most people accept that direction, we still have to go back and heal those relationships, forgive and forget, and welcome people back to the community. I am very proud of the work the Production Leadership Team is doing in opening up the Development effort.
I do believe this event has been a good one. It's created a bit of an awakening and many are starting to recognize that we have to come back together as a community and start getting involved, again, in this project. I encourage those of you who are using Joomla! professionally to begin giving 4 to 8 hours a week to the project.
It's time to get back to our foundations, pull together, again, as a community, produce great code, and start claiming International Awards for our work.
Joomla! 1.6 is going to be a good step forward, but we have a lot of work together, All Together, As A Whole. Time to get going, again.
2009-11-30 05:23:30
Isn't it more important to *openly* ask, "What model will works? What will most constituents or stakeholders buy into--especially the ones who are most able to help move the project forward?"
2009-11-30 06:33:46
Who decides who gets paid?
OSM and COC in discussion with the development coordinators. As stated in the article, Louis and Andrew, unlike other senior developers active in the project, had the time available and the interest in committing several full days a week to work on the project.
Who decides how much is paid?
As with anything this is a discussion between the payor and the payee, but the low end of market rates for senior developers.
How long will someone be payed? (timeframe or goals/targets)
There is a time limited contract with review/renewal on a specific timetable. Specifically, we have been through the first round of evaluations and will do another in mid January.
Who or what is in the position to make these decisions?
OSM and the COC in consultation with our lawyers wrote the contracts.
Who is monitoring the work?
Directly: The development coordinators for Andrew/The other development coordinators for Louis. Indirectly: You, the community.
Who should be monitoring?
Directly: The development coordinators for Andrew/The other development coordinators for Louis. Indirectly: You, the community.
Who decides if the work is good quality?
Directly: The development coordinators for Andrew/The other development coordinators for Louis. Indirectly: You, the community.
Of course anyone is welcome to comment on their work products either on the development lists or elsewhere. Please feel free to email me privately if you believe their work is unsatisfactory but are not comfortable saying so publically. You will also have the opportunity to say this when we do the assessment in January.
Are there conflicts of interest?
No
How much power do these persons or even the company they work for get?
Same as they had before; there is nothing they can put into the trunk now that they couldn't put into the trunk in August.
If someone doesn't deliver what happens?
The contract isn't renewed
What is the budget?
That's a contract matter, but the low end of market for senior developers.
Where does the money come from?
As stated in the article, from targetted fundraising specificially for this purpose.
Shouldn't the money be spend on the community efforts instead?
Development is a community effort, but If you have ideas about spending I encourage you to talk wtih the leadership teams as they make their proposals for the coming year. I know the leadership teams would be delighted to have suggestions about new initiatives for 2010.
2009-11-30 07:45:23
How is the community suppose to monitor if you don't tell them what's happening? (the so called experiment started 8 weeks ago)
"If someone doesn't deliver what happens?
The contract isn't renewed"
Do they have to pay back the "community's" money? Are they removed from the dev team and other positions? I ask because with payment comes a different responsibility.
Why so vague about the numbers? OSM is a non-profit right, doesn't than mean things like this should be public? With that, shouldn't 2008 fillings be here yet? http://opensourcematters.org/policies/federal-filings.html
2009-11-30 16:59:25
2009-11-30 18:33:21
2009-11-30 19:07:32
Elin - I hear you saying this specific contract ends mid-January. Is it envisioned that this approach of paying developers will be continued well into the future? If so, will it be with these two individuals (provided satisfactory results?) Or, is this merely a temporary "boost" to help us get 1.6 out and to build the new Developer Web site? Will the Development Working Group Coordinators be the ones to make that call? To me, those types of answers make a big difference.
Also, I have to say, Elin, if it is a community responsibility to provide oversight, as you have indicated, then it is important to share information on the specific assignments made, otherwise, that is very difficult to do. I'm okay with leaving it as a responsibility for the Development Working Group coordinators, but to be fair, the community simply doesn't have information to do what you are suggesting they are able to do.
Thanks for helping us understand this decision. It's a big departure from our volunteer work force, and as you can see, one that doesn't sit well with many of us. (Who have also contributed, but certainly not expecting payment.)
2009-12-01 02:51:07
2009-12-01 07:59:35
The questions asked don't have your or anyone's name because they are not aimed at anyone in person, they are questions about the organization, guidelines, processes etc etc in general. These are very valid questions to ask I think especially when the community supposed to monitor or whatever in this case. How should the community monitor if they don't get full information? Aren't informed about decisions or only after they are long made? Aren't allowed to ask questions? Please help me out here because I don't understand.
2009-12-01 15:40:25
As you now, we have talked about this, privately, and you know that I have nothing but respect for you and Louis. I say this because, I want people to understand that you are not lumping all of us who disagree with this action into the "disrespectful category."
I know you also recognize have recognized there have been many of us who have worked right along side you and Louis, in fact, continuing in periods of your absences, and that, it is impossible to financially compensate all of our contributors.
I have seen a great deal of respect offered you and Louis. I think "code junkies" was the harshest comment made and the intended point seemed to be that others contribute and are also valuable, which I know you agree with.
The concern in the community isn't just related to this decision, but rather a series of announcements and decisions from OSM and a lack of transparency. The leadership team and OSM are now reviewing the governance model because it is not clear within the project who is responsible for what. That is the concern you are seeing from community. Many of us would like to see OSM return to the original mission defined when you and the other founders established the project. The founders put good thought into the organization structure and definition of OSM and some of us believe it is important to return to our roots.
Change is inevitable. Good community management involves people in helping bring change. Imagine the difference if strategies are shared, budgets, and community input is requested. Imagine a community that doesn't have to rely on outsourcing our Demo site, and advertise to our membership, but rather takes care of the project's financial need. We are all on the same side, even if we don't all share the same perspective on each objective. We want a strong and successful project and we want to start taking home those international awards, again, that Joomla! so richly deserves.
Respect. Always.
Amy
2009-12-01 21:43:32
2009-12-01 22:17:43
I can see how hard this must be for you and it drives home the reason that involvement and transparency are so important and your response also speaks to why this type of approach doesn't work in free software projects.
Private funding is much better. Those types of arrangements are private matters. What happens in a free software project with thousands of contributors must be open, inclusive and transparent. It just doesn't work any other way.
I'm done, here, since my points have been made and I hope accepted in the spirit intended.
2009-12-02 03:46:05
I've tried private funding - it's hard work, a poor use of resources and carries additional burdens of having an implied moral obligation with the actual giver (which is different from a work-for-hire arrangement where you have one boss, not 50). I also don't think the colour of the money matters.
Take the experiment for what it is, an experiment. I would suggest you let it run it's course and that you provide input at the appropriate milestones as Elin pointed out there would be. If we are seeing overall positive results then that's an opportunity to re-evaluate, if not expand the initiative. For me, I'm enjoying having the time not just to be focused only on what I'm interested in - I have time to be able to enable other people's passions, and that's pretty cool. And, of course, do the grunt jobs nobody else wants to do
2009-12-02 06:26:45
2009-12-02 14:16:27
Joomla is not a commercial open source project today. Drupal did not get there overnight either. Doesn't it strike you as perfectly natural that people feel some surprise when this kind of change of tactic occurs rather unexpectedly ?
We are not blind to the arguments in favor of such an approach - but that does not mean we're comfortable with it. When people claim lack of transparancy, I can understand where they come from. When people raise arguments against it, they're voicing concern about what's next. Elin's factual responses enhance the feeling of a fait accompli.
There 's an opportunity to listen to the community here, and have an open debate. I for one feel sorry that the development team has a hard time finding new contributors, but I can also sympathize with people who find it hard to come to terms with the roadmap and decision making process for Joomla.
There's a risk that this kind of 'experiment' is interpreted as 'well community, we don't really need you'. There is no time Joomla has needed its community like the present. Without the community, Joomla is dead.
2009-12-02 22:36:05
2009-12-03 00:17:49
2009-12-03 18:44:56
2009-12-04 06:05:26
Anyway, at the next review point I'll have my own suggestions for change which actually come from studying successful community-minded businesses like Whole Foods, and, as it happens, address some of the concerns raised.
2009-12-04 06:38:07
its very interesting to read such discussion. I am a member of Russian Joomla! community and try on this situation to my local community.
We are also have the main memders, who did main core works, but they dont paid.
And it awesome for other of as - its true open projesct where people get RESPEST instead of money (and money they get on outside projects as they true Joomla! professional with experience and fame).
I think what its TRUE POWER of Joomla! social - to keep going on enthusiasm. Its like magic in this proffit-baced world.
So i think what its more suitable to spend the money to organizational puprose instead of dividing community on the more or less valuable people.
We all spend our time to make Joomla! more popular and better. Cose we just LOVE TO INVOLVE IN IT
Sorry for terrifyng English i produce
2009-12-04 09:57:27
"Necessity makes law."
As long as the project itself does not change its nature —and I do not see any sign it is— this is fine for me.
I will continue to help for free as before eventhough I would loved to be paid in Chambertin 1955.
Indeed more transparency is needed in communications. This has always been our weak point.
This is a good sign it will:
http://community.joomla.org/blogs/community/1085-increasing-transparency-publishing-of-osms-board-meeting-minutes.html
2009-12-05 23:35:44
2009-12-09 10:21:17
Paying Andrew and Louis for having Joomla!1.6 out is legitimate as they have worked a lot for free before. Their experience is unvaluable and giving them money is logical if we want to have a leading CMS.
2009-12-10 23:33:06
Although not being a regular within the Joomla! Project bounds for many months now, more of a "lounge-lizard" these days, I must admit to finding the response to using a "hired-guns" approach to achieve a goal (Andrew and Louis, and possibly others in the future) somewhat surprising.
My 2c for what it is worth-- I see what I would call an "Executive Decision" having been made here.
A need or desire was discovered, in this case it appears to have been to ensure the continued growth and momentum of the 1.6 trunk and beyond. Focus was applied to the issue at hand and a choice was made with the long-term benefit of the project in mind, not with any individual in mind.
Agree or disagree with the concept of a "paid delivery" model in Open Source, I feel that many of the underlying aspects may not have been considered or fully explored in this and other discussions.
Personally, from my own perspective, I have actually seen this as a very positive thing and the only thing that has surprised me is the willingness to take such steps on my behalf !
Let me expand on my thoughts;
Making this sort of financial commitment is a big step, it's huge, stepping out of the traditional bounds, but for me has served only to confirm the commitment that OSM, COC and the Core Teams have made, and are continuing make to the Joomla! Content Management System as a community project and especially to those many many thousands of 3rd Parties using, servicing, developing for, and building on, Joomla!
What an amazing statement to make and fantastic way to build confidence in the future of Open Source and Joomla! as well as firmly placing a stake in the ground for their commitment to future innovation in J! 1.6, J! 2.0 and beyond by bringing in and engaging some of the best and brightest, Andrew and Louis right now, but possibly others in the future if this experiment is found to be successful and beneficial, whilst also showing a strong appreciation of the cost and value of the time and effort investment made by all the folks involved in Joomla! from the Developer Teams, Forum Groups and "lounge-lizards" like me. Again, Personally, I see this as an investment, not a cost centre and welcome the changing tide and innovation.
Having worked as a "Hired Gun" myself, on many occasions for a large number of differing entities in the past I have seen the confusion on the faces of other staff and felt the wrath of existing employee's or project members when I have entered the room (physical or virtual) that feel they are maybe missing out on something or should have been afforded the same "opportunity" before bringing me in to assist or resolve specific tasks. So I can appreciate the apprehensive approach by some, I am not saying it is wrong to be cautious or that this model is actually the best approach, but I do think it is a "good" approach and sends a strong message.
As many of you may know, in the past worked on the "Joomla! Tools Suite" project, now this could have been seen by many as a "stab in the back" for the project team, maybe even suggesting that Joomla! was in need of some specialist help beyond their capabilities (geez, as if, when you look at the expertise in most of the core and 3rd Party developers little fingers in comparison to my combined skills) BUT... instead, this project was enthusiastically welcomed and more importantly was accepted as a value add, not as a criticism or slight of the project, offers of assistance were abound from all corners. Paid or Un-Paid, these guys and many others spent hours of time (probably frustrated time) with me, assisting me to learn and understand more and more everyday, all for the love of the project.
Way to go Joomla!
2009-12-12 17:43:47
I support the decisions being made and see how financial injections into the project will increase the development and get us from concept to end result. Being part of the project for so many years on the other side of the fence and knowing how much time goes into just the decision making and development it is tough just for the volunteer basis to get the work completed and pushed out the door. Why? Because sometimes life can get in the way of things. By paying for some of the developers to work a few days a week on the project you ensure the stability of the project along with getting the releases done on a timely manner.
I would love to see Joomla! be 100% financially independent - but that is in a perfect world where money doesn't exist.
Show me an open source project that does have a paid staff and injection of funds where it hasn't improved the product itself. Take a look at Mozilla - best open source project model I know. Paid staff / volunteers from around the world / great software. And it is working for them.
So I say - lets continue to make great software and increase the potential that Joomla! has.
Kindest regards,
--Steven Pignataro