Fri 06 Jul 2007 |
Fighting the Stupids
Written by Louis Landry
Got your attention? I figured so. Today's blog post title comes from the tag line of one of the coolest book shops I have ever been in: The Maple Street Book Shop. Today's blog post, however will be centered around project structure and more specifically the misinformation and misconceptions being spread rampant by the stupids. I can already see the people posting comments, "That was not a very professional post" or "I am insulted". OK, but to the first, Joomla! is an open source project ... not a corporation :) If you keep reading you will hopefully catch the drift. To the second, you have a guilty conscious perhaps? Reality is I am talking about the same thing the Maple Street Book Shop is talking about .... the seemingly communicable disease ... the stupids.
Firstly, lets clear up a very common misconception.
Is Joomla! a company?
No.
Joomla! is not a company nor will it ever be. No one on the core team is paid for the work they put into the project. We are all volunteers. We do not get living allowances or salaries or anything like that. When we go to an event we are reimbursed for travel and accommodation expenses -- that is the extent of it. We may appear polished and well organized and all the things that some people do not associate with "just an open source project"; but I assure you that we are really just an open source project. We are a group of unpaid volunteers who share a good idea and work to make that idea a reality.
What is OSM all about?
Now, the next question will be, "But what about OpenSourceMatters, Inc (OSM)? Isn't that a company?" *sigh* Yes, OSM is a not for profit corporation which was incorporated in New York for the purpose of holding assets and supporting the Joomla! project.
Here is where there is a LOT of stupid going around that we need to fight. Joomla! is not a project that lives under the umbrella of OSM and its board of directors, we specifically set things up such that the Joomla! project is in charge of its destiny. According to the bylaws set in place for OSM, the Joomla! project (read: core team) have the singular authority to add and remove OSM board members, and the section of the bylaws that asserts this authority cannot be modified without approval of the Joomla! project.
OSM does not have members, not even the Joomla! Core Team, all it has is its board. The OSM board in the grand scheme of things should be viewed as a team within the overall project structure. Just as there is an events team and a marketing and media team that lives inside of the greater Foundation Working Group, OSM is merely a team that exists inside of the Foundation Working Group. The importance of this body starts and stops there. It is a tool of the project that is used to help facilitate the needs of the project, no more and no less.
Next is another important point. No copyright holders for the Joomla! code base have ever assigned copyright to OSM. For example, I own all of the copyright for the code I have written that exists in the Joomla! code base. Similarly, anyone else who has contributed code to the Joomla! code base retains ownership of their respective copyright to that code.
We set up the system in this way so that we could, in good conscience and of sound mind, let OSM go about its duties and exercise its powers knowing that it could not as an entity go rogue and do things against the wishes of the project.
I personally could not be more proud of the way things have been set up or of the people we have on the OSM board. They are a diverse bunch of good people and I consider them all great friends.
Then who is in charge?
I get this one a lot, and quite honestly it is not an easy question to answer. The reality is that no one is in charge but at the same time everyone is in charge. How is that for clear as mud?
The stewards of the project are known as the Joomla! Core Team, of which I am incredibly proud to be a member. We all have a demonstrated long term commitment to the project and believe in it wholeheartedly. We all have a say in how the project is run and for the most part we are a very "flat" organization. We do not have an awful lot of hierarchal structure -- thank god. Generally speaking the different individuals on the core team have different areas of expertise or different areas of interest. We endeavor to put people where they want to be and find ways to keep people interested and happy as best we can. A perfect example of this is Michelle transitioning from Documentation Working Group Coordinator to a team leadership position inside of the Foundation Working Group. If you need a more recent example I would point out that currently we are transitioning Rob from Quality & Testing Working Group Coordinator to the Development Working Group. He is also looking into other positions in the realm of advocacy.
Now that lets look at code and development specifically. Wilco is the Development Working Group Coordinator. He is in charge of managing the development process along with his "lieutenants" the Lead Developers. We currently have two Lead Developers: Johan and I. Architectural decisions for the code base are made by the lead developers, but the day to day development is done on the trust and honor system by the entire development working group who are mostly not on the core team. All of our developers have full commit access on the source tree and it is an absolute honor to work with each and every one of them on Joomla!
"Wait!" you might exclaim ... "What about the project lead?" Funny you should ask, I was just about to talk about that. The Joomla! project was founded with the same project leader that had existed for a while at Mambo before the split: Andrew Eddie. Up until Andrew stepped down from the core team, Joomla! had always had a single project manager and as you may guess it was a very taxing position to hold. Upon Andrew's departure we appointed three people to serve as project managers while we continued to restructure the project so that we could sustain the enormous growth. Those three were Johan, Shayne and David. In that last year immense progress was made on many fronts. We have made mistakes all along the way and we have also enjoyed great successes along the way. As of the most recent Core Team Summit the core team elected a new set of project managers ... not surprisingly to many, both Johan and Shayne were retained and I was also added to the distinguished list being that David stepped down from the team. Our position is not that of dictator or anything of that nature but it is really a facilitation position. We are here to help facilitate the project's progress and growth.
We don't hand down edicts about how documentation is written or how OSM is supposed to operate any more than we get to tell moderators how to moderate on the forums or any other aspect of the project. We may have suggestions from time to time on how to improve process ... we may offer a helping hand ... we may even help find willing people to work on a task that needs to be done, but generally speaking everyone on this team is quite capable and competent to do what needs to be done. Sometimes time is short, sometimes life happens, sometimes people even need a break from the project -- can you believe it? -- and when that happens the project managers are tasked with making sure that the project is affected as little as possible.
So why do you do all of this for free?
You know, I have asked myself that question a few times. What it comes down to I think is that I believe that Open Source Software, and more specifically Free Software, is as much a philosophy as it is a set of machine instructions to be interpreted. It represents the freedom for me to create and innovate at my own pace and it represents the freedom for everyone to use the free software I write. It is freedom in a very fundamental sense.
Quite often I hear people referring to Joomla! as a product. I have done it, but I have stopped because I think that a certain context is given to that word which does not fit Joomla! To most people, the term "product" infers an exchange of goods fit for the purposes of sale. This is, in my opinion, an incredibly wrong way of looking at free software, not because of its cost but because of its nature. This may well be a difficult thing for people to wrap their head around if they have only known proprietary software. Free software is built and distributed under the philosophy that the code is "locked open" so that everyone can share in its benefits equally. Of course some will have more knowledge than others and be able to make more of it than others, but the playing field is equal upon distribution. Everyone is afforded the same rights and opportunities. Free software is a "great equalizer" in that sense. There is no contractual agreement in the traditional sense of purchasing software, there is simply a license (in our case the GNU GPL) which allows you to use software as long as you give other people the same freedoms regarding the free software that you were given.
With the freedoms the GNU GPL License affords, there are also some responsibilities. We recently stated our intentions to ensure we're keeping our side of the bargain and being responsible free software patrons. So the next time you hear someone suggesting Joomla! is a product please do take the time to educate them (fight the stupids :) ).
So wait, are you some sort of communist ideologue?
I do enjoy a good vodka from time to time, does that count? ;)
In all seriousness this is ridiculous. I have written proprietary software, and will continue to write it when necessary. This is very similar to the absolutely STUPID and inane things that are said about people in the United States who believe the health care system should be socialized like nearly every other industrialized country on the planet. Does that mean everything should be socialized? No, of course not ... I am not certain I think human nature would allow for it, but that is for another discussion over some good vodka :)
I have said it before and I will say it again, I am not allergic to money ... though my bank account may lead you to believe otherwise ;) Just because I choose to write free software does not make me an ideologue, just because I happen to believe in the free software movement doesn't make me an ideologue either; it makes me happy with what I do which as I was always taught is something to strive for.
But what does it all mean?
For most of us Open Source and Free Software is a way of making a difference. It's an outlet for our creative talents to the benefit of many. For us it's a way for us to give a helping hand to everyone, including those less fortunate than ourselves it's not about money, it's about our contribution to the world. It may not be much, but it is all I have to give for the moment to make a difference. It is for everyone as a whole, not just a part.
2007-07-06 13:54:49
1. Joomla, People at OSM/Core & Money
Would I am considered as a stupid if I say that I would really love to see Joomla Project Managers & Lead developpers to receive an economic compensation for their high investment in time & intellectual capital?
Actually , this is a very selfish comment from my side: I am concerned about project management's efficiency (maintain tremendous growth) & quality of deliverables.
- Turnover of key elements is plain bad for the project, especially if the people would love to stay but can't do it for economic reasons.
- If we can have key element almost full time, this is also a guarantee for quality.
You say it yourself: Money is no evil, even in the FOSS realm
2. Joomla & Product
Say whatever you want, but it's because Joomla is a wordwide best of breed product, that you can claim to so many people what's the importance of FOSS for the world/community.
Lose the focus on the product and what it should deliver to the community, and you will lose your audience. Both things are very toght together...oddly enough
Joomla is not a product, Joomla is not a FOSS study case neither
For me, Joomla is a young but very promising FOSS CMS...and we all have many things to do to grow & consolidate the PRODUCT and the PROJECT
2007-07-06 13:57:39
2007-07-06 14:00:20
I would actually agree with you on point 2 in that context. It is not the word product that I disagree with, but the specific connotation that people have with the word. It is important to me that people see us as an open source project.
As for point 1, I honestly am not sure how I feel about that but your point is sound.
Louis
2007-07-06 15:00:34
2007-07-06 15:03:47
It is that symbiotic ecosystem of open source philosophy and commercialism that is growing the core product SugarCRM to compete with the commercial products like Oracle and others.
I had the honor of starting and growing a CMS once, XOOPS. I was one of the original core team members. What really kept that product from becoming more that it is today is a series of mistakes we made as a core team. Those triumphs and mistakes are what defined the project and product of that project.
The reason I walked away from XOOPS is that I felt we needed a better module system and the one we had was to inflexible (I was comparing it to Mambo at the time believe it or not). The others disagreed. We had a great core with a decent ACL and the core was/is based on an MVC model. We just grew in different directions and the project stagnated. it can happen......
So please, don't let this project (and yes product) get ripped apart or put in the has-been shelf due to fighting about what it is and everything connecting to it having to follow a license or philosophy. That goes against the "openness" of the FOSS philosophy.
If this fighting/debating continues, will it spell the kiss of death? Who knows, time will tell.
So, please keep this GREAT project going down the path it was before all the debate started. Joomla is GPL/Open Source. We all appreciate and applaud it because it can never be taken from the community.
Please also realize that without commercial interests, the product will stay within a niche realm. A LOT of people use Joomla as a tool for financially supporting their families and without commercial products to support the ecosystem, Joomla will be much less attractive and could be considered by most, a hobby product.
Lastly, consider this. Quite a few members are in poorer countries and Joomla is a key tool for their livelihoods. So you ARE making a difference to a LOT of people who could not otherwise better their position in life without this kind of product and the unbelievable amount of momentum behind it.
2007-07-06 15:30:41
2007-07-06 17:07:59
The answer is why not, building Content Management Systems and make them available to the world for free is another major step to fight ignorance. Not to mention that it saves the trees too
Great Post Louis
2007-07-06 17:44:24
I love your last paragraph. It's time, now, to move on towards a promising future with whomever wants to join in and help make a positive impact in this world.
Thanks to each of the Joomla! contributors and for this post, Louis.
2007-07-06 19:46:43
Great entry. I'm very confused as to what the big fuss has been recently. I know the "What"... I just don't understand the "Why".
Writing software for free means that you are not bound to anything; such as deadlines, financial goals, cost reduction, etc. Basically, you are immune to "the corporatization", if you will. Another big plus is that you don't have to deal with the Stupids, really. You don't understand it? Don't use it. Joomla! folks are going above and beyond in what they do.
In the end, however you guys structure what, who, and where... is really up to all of you.
Cheers!
K-9
2007-07-06 21:23:25
Now let me go "stupid".
I think as a free software project you should not point to any commercial products built on Joomla on extensions.joomla.org.
I experienced that three open source Joomla projects I developed where removed from the site without notifying me. Since I complied with the GPL and named copyright owners when I reused part of their GPLed work I cannot understand the reasoning behind this decision.
Anyway the Joomla team is free to do what they want with the extensions directory.
What I do find there are not only commercial components but also two components partly built on code I have originally written without mentioning it on any form, which is actually a breach of the GPL.
One of the aspects that made me move away from Joomla is that I experienced distressed people who bought crappy commercial extensions for Joomla without getting support or feedback from the people who sold them. They were simply ripped off.
On the other hand as a developer of free Joomla extensions I got a lot of requests or proposals for additional features. This is good of course. But some people tend to start dragging you and do not understand that you actually need to do business as well and may not have time to add extra features to your "hobby" projects for a certain time. I did not experience such behavior to that extend in other open source communities.
Last but not least I think it was a very bad decision to move the old forge to a new place and software. I did not follow whether there was any kind of discussion previously going on about it but this step did not only mean lots of work being lost but also lots of additional work to be done.
2007-07-07 19:50:17
2007-07-07 23:39:00
SoucreForge was migrated fully. All code, all files, the tracker and documentation. All project owners have received several mails with instructions, and those who did not respond were removed. A lot of work has been put into migrating over 1700(!) project, so when you say they were removed you probably missed those mails. The reasons we moved was explained on a frontpage post, and believe me, when you migrate the biggest sourceforge in the world there is a lot discussion upfront
2007-07-08 00:44:17
me missing these mails resulted in these projects being lost now.
I do not doubt that discussion was going on before. And I did not "only" mean the work by the extension developers but also the work of the forge admins who had and probably still have a very painstaking job to do migrating these projects.
Nonetheless, I think to move the forge was not a good idea, because as someone who spends time on working on open source projects, including any kind of work, you need to be able to rely on some things at least.
I don't want to restart a discussion that already took place, so I take it as it is.
2007-07-09 01:05:51
An exceptional post with exceptional content, very timely and required. Thanks for the time and effort. As, has already been stated, differentiating OpenSource Project organisations and Community Business or Commercial Organisations can be difficult and becomes more so as the project grows.
@rg
Unfortunately, the Forge had become unreliable and not supportive of the Project requirements, as the family grows, occasionally we need to move house to accommodate the growing needs. Having been involved to a very small degree, I think the move was completed very successfully, with an amazing amount work completed in a very short period of time to reduce the downtime for end-users and developers alike.
Kudos to the team involved.
2007-07-09 01:50:03
2007-07-09 07:07:43
2007-07-09 07:31:10
2007-07-11 07:09:01
I had a hard time explaining to him that if Joomla was NOT Open Source, it wouldn't have been this good. I finally got him to understand by posing the question "Who would do a better Job? Someone who gets paid to work, or Someone who does it because they WANT to?
If the Internet was conceived by marketing people, it would NOT exist as it does today...
Just my lengthy 2 cents...
Props to the Joomla Core Team!
2007-07-11 09:19:42
2007-07-12 08:45:45
Also, thanks for plugging a NOLA business.
2007-07-12 16:47:26
2007-07-13 01:34:56
2007-07-13 02:25:30
first of all i just want say thank you very much for this top class software.
your article is just clean as water!!!!dont let nobody ruin this all.
thanks again
2007-07-14 16:56:09
Good work clearing up things, Louis! I think the Core Team are the best. I love the Open Source philosophy and it IS an ideology, it is all about sharing and doing what you(we) want.
Joomla is greater than the sum of its parts! Ummm... Maybe Joomla! is a religion?!?
2007-07-15 16:37:09
Thats my night Job!
My day job is working in a workers co-operative and I try to support all forms of co-operation. Joomla is an excellent example of this. The core team have a passion for what they have created, trouble is they are going to upset people. Why! Joomla is free, it will remain free. So rather than attacks on the core team who may get so pi**** off with it they will give up. So please work together to solve probelms or issues not attacks.
Guess this make me a Communist.
2007-07-16 11:22:36
Please define "stupids" ... who in your opinion are these comments targeting?
2007-07-17 00:44:16
Did you read the article or just the title Nick? It is not targeted at people but the disease ... which is tongue in cheek for a condition where by someone asserts misinformation knowingly either because they don't want to know the truth or don't want to tell it. It goes around from time to time ... if you can't keep a sense of humor about you then I'm sorry
2007-07-18 21:29:31
I just cannot see how this is helping the Joomla! community. The only thing it has succeeded in is to futher divide the community - I guess the sequel has also gone a long way in this direction also.
I am also sorry you and the rest of the J! team cannot see this :?