Paying developers to get features faster

From: Ben Theil (noname_at_nowhere.net)
Date: 01/26/04 

Date: Mon, 26 Jan 2004 17:56:03 -0500

http://www.newsforge.com/programming/03/12/16/1557216.shtml?tid=25

This has once been suggested a few times before on the Internet. I do
think it is a very good idea!

My main concern is with the quality of code being contributed to the
Linux Open Source pool. The applications works with small set of
features. When trying to compile it there are a warning messages flying
past the screen. This is true even with the Linux Kernel compile. This
suggests that:

-The Linux programmer only knows how to implement the function but does
not know the C programming language well. Their knowledge in pointer
usage, global variable usage, union, types and function parameters is
not good.

In Software Engineering classes it is a well know maxim, "You can prove
the presence of bugs but you cannot prove their absence." A clean
compile is atleast a lot better than a screen full of warning messages.
While that it may not prove the absence of bugs, it certainly is the
closest thing to reliablility.

Rewarding programmers to clean up the code is a great way to create a
robust OS and applications. A prize of $200 to clean up the code for
GNOME XYZ application OR Linux Network drivers, is a lot of money for a
programmer in India. Similar prizes could be setup to clean the code
for the kernel, KDE, OpenOffice etc.

The reward for any application/system should have a definite deadline
and should meet the code documenting standards. It should have a basic
standard for the "Makefile" and compiler options. For example, the
"Makefile" should not have "2>&1 > /dev/null" for the file compile.

The Linux kernel 2.6 compile is a lot better. There are still tons of
warning messages that fly by the screen. Doesn't this raise the concern
about buffer overflow problems in those drivers or modules?

Accept it or not, the truth is that the Open Source developer will not
hang on to the same project for the rest of his/her life. If there is a
better opportunity he/she will leave their "baby" for the world to take
care of it. A crude analogy would be someone doing odd jobs for
whatever reason. Once there is a better opportunity, the odd job is
history. Open Source developing is more like an "odd" job for these
programmers. Whatever great things that they have contributed should be
cleaned up. With giving some financial reward it can be accomplished.
For example the GNOME's "Bounty" system is a great idea to add features
to a product!

My personal observation (being a command line afficianado) is that the
Windows environment on Linux is so Bloated (with a capital "B"), it
makes Windows look like a great champ. Suddenly, using KDE apps or
GNOME apps on Linux doesn't seem to be too attractive. Besides when I
tried to build them there were tons of warning messages which does make
me nervous, for any possible buffer overflow problems.

"Paying developers to get features fast" is the way to go for Open
Source movement. "For the love of coding" is a temporary truth for the
coder. When reality hits with bills to pay, then that love is gone. The
code can be cleaned up by many other "C" linguists at a great deal. I
am sure that if a 1000 Linux users around the world give $1 each to
clean up code in the Linux Kernel or GNOME or KDE, then that is $1000
prize amount. That is a LOT of money for a teenager in Germany or a
small group of progammers in India. Everyone benefits with this approach.

The "clean compile" should be demonstarted on atleast 5 major
distributions. That is the proof of some good work and money well
earned.

The required infrastructure is already in place. For example,
sourceforge.net is a great place to start.

This is a great article and people should pay more attention to it!

BT

Relevant Pages

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