The greatness of a project
What is it that makes Ubuntu a great project and so successful?
The answers are many and not one particular thing is decisive, but the great community is definitely one of the main reasons. When I look at other international Open Source projects I participate in there are a great portion of dynamics in difference. In the Ubuntu project it is quite hard to keep up with all the interesting projects, the mailinglists and even the Ubuntu participants personally blogs about Ubuntu.
So what it is that makes it such a dynamic community? That easily makes myself spend 20 hours a week after normal work, my girlfriend and my family and friends?
Well, first of all Ubuntu manages to balance the often difficult line between clear leadership, and the freedom for every participants to do whatever they like. This means that a very personal relationship exists between the participant and Ubuntu, and that people feels like Ubuntu is also their project (too). A different feeling than when you buy a product that you really feel should be free, and you also know that a huge company gets the money you pay for it.
No, when you know that the product only exist because you, among other, has contributed, you feel much different about it.
Another thing is that the Ubuntu project puts a lot of efforts into crediting the contributors. And lately this has resulted in the Ubuntu Hall of Fame, where the people who really has put efforts into Ubuntu get higlighted.
The first person the Hall of Fame was Nick Ali, who has contributed in so many areas, that I will not start to list them.
The next person has just recentley been added. It is Alberto Milone who vreated Envy, a tool to assist in installing Nvidia drivers. You can read a lot more about Alberto in the HoF, where you also can see who triage most bugs and a lot of other great things about the contributing powers of the Ubuntu project.
This ability to credit people where credit is deserved is definitely one of the key reasone why the Ubuntu community is so viral and dynamic compared to a lot of other open source communities. Another proof of point is the amount of volunteers NOT working with classic technical areas such as development and translating, but who work with advocacy and other areas of less technical character.
Please visit Hall of Fame and credit the incredible people displayed here! http://hall-of-fame.ubuntu.com
December 18th, 2008 at 10:02 am
I think your article encompasses why I use Ubuntu. I think it’s that something else which I can’t put my finger in it. Anyway, I am one of many end users who greatly appreciate their contributions. Thankyou.
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