Why can't we be friends: do corporations & FOSS really mix?

Many folks in the Python community appreciate and contribute to Free and Open Source Software. But sometimes, your employer may not be on your side. We present the current problem space that both community members and companies have for using and supporting FOSS. We then walk you through arguments and solutions to help increase your company's engagement with the community.

Note: Presented both at ApacheCon 2016 and PyCon US 2016

Transcript

1. Why Can’t We be Friends? Do Corporations & FOSS really mix? Noa Resare | @blippie Lynn Root | @roguelynn
2. $whoami
3. What is the problem?
4. Tragedy of the Commons
5. A shared-resource system where individual users acting independently and rationally according to their own self-interest behave contrary to the common good of all users by depleting that resource. – Wikipedia “ ”
6. Tragedy of the Commons ‣ Assumptions
7. Tragedy of the Commons ‣ Assumptions ‣ Expectations
8. Tragedy of the Commons ‣ Assumptions ‣ Expectations ‣ The Reality
9. Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons. Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all. – Garrett Hardin, Tragedy of the Commons (1968) ” “
10. Tragedy of the Commons, continued
11. Tragedy of the Commons, continued ‣ What is self interest?
12. Tragedy of the Commons, continued ‣ What is self interest? ‣ Let’s not require altruism
13. Tragedy of the Commons, continued ‣ What is self interest? ‣ Let’s not require altruism ‣ The cost of bugs
14. Tragedy of the Commons, continued ‣ What is self interest? ‣ Let’s not require altruism ‣ The cost of bugs ‣ The cost of lack of usability
15. What can I do about it?
16. What can I do about it? ‣ Connect with others
17. What can I do about it? ‣ Connect with others ‣ What barriers are there?
18. What can I do about it? ‣ Connect with others ‣ What barriers are there? ‣ Become friends with legal
19. What can I do about it? ‣ Connect with others ‣ What barriers are there? ‣ Become friends with legal ‣ Financial contributions
20. What can I do about it? ‣ Connect with others ‣ What barriers are there? ‣ Become friends with legal ‣ Financial contributions ‣ Write blog posts and give presentations
21. Make Thoughtful Contributions ‣ High quality maintenance trumps features ‣ Consider the existing community members ‣ Think long-term
22. I’m sold! But how do I convince my (manager | company | employer)?
23. Incentives & Economics of FOSS: Why should companies use FOSS in the first place?
24. Why use FOSS? ‣ Stand on the shoulders of giants
25. Why use FOSS? ‣ Stand on the shoulders of giants ‣ Hawthorne Effect
26. Why use FOSS? ‣ Stand on the shoulders of giants ‣ Hawthorne Effect ‣ High quality software
27. Why use FOSS? ‣ Stand on the shoulders of giants ‣ Hawthorne Effect ‣ High quality software ‣ Alumni Effect
28. Incentives & Economics of FOSS: Why give back to FOSS?
29. Why should companies give back? ‣ Behavioral Economics
30. ‣ Behavioral Economics ‣ Recruiting Why should companies give back?
31. ‣ Behavioral Economics ‣ Recruiting ‣ Vendor Management Why should companies give back?
32. Incentives & Economics of FOSS: Examples to learn from
33. Examples to learn from: City of Munich
34. Examples to learn from: City of Munich We saw from the start that if you're only relying on one contributor to supply your operating system, your office system and your infrastructure, you're stuck with it. You have to do what your contributor tells you to… “
35. Examples to learn from: City of Munich … If they say 'There's no longer support for your office version', you have to buy and implement a new one. You're no longer able to make those kinds of decisions by yourself. – Peter Hofmann, RM for LiMux Project ”
36. Examples to learn from: Microsoft
37. Examples to learn from: Microsoft Linux is a cancer… “ ”
38. Examples to learn from: Microsoft Microsoft loves Linux “ ”
39. (conclusion)
40. fin spoti.fi/foss-friends