Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #28945

Re: Apache, Eclipse, ... Why do they do this?

From	Josip Almasi <joe@vrspace.org>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.java.programmer
Subject	Re: Apache, Eclipse, ... Why do they do this?
Date	2014-07-04 12:27 +0200
Organization	B.net Hrvatska d.o.o.
Message-ID	<lp5vi5$9cj$1@gregory.bnet.hr> (permalink)
References	<Apache-20140704032235@ram.dialup.fu-berlin.de>

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On 07/04/2014 03:28 AM, Stefan Ram wrote:
>    Apache and the Eclipse Foundation work to create libraries
>    and software, and then they give it to you for free. Why are
>    they doing this?

Why not?

> Several parties pay for them, for example
>    IBM supports Eclipse (for example, in 2001, they supported
>    Eclipse with 40 million USD), why do they do this?

... as did google, yahoo, microsoft, and everybody who is anybody:
http://www.apache.org/foundation/thanks.html

Check out apache organization chart:
http://www.apache.org/foundation/governance/orgchart

As you can see, there's 9 directors governing work of 3000+ people on 
100+ projects, and 10 more for infrastructure, fundraising and all other 
outside business.
How many directors, managers, salespersons, lawyers, marketing people 
would an IBM need to do the same, but proprietary, thing?
Obviously, open source is organizationally superior to proprietary model.
And, production is waaay cheaper.

What about tech support?
Often, users self-organize and answer each other questions.
OTOH, Cisco had about 4000 people in tech support some 10+ years ago.
Bug reporting and fixing also superior - user who can pipnpoint the bug 
can fix it, or reach the developper who can fix it.

All this works out wonderfully as long as techies are users.

Regards...

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Re: Apache, Eclipse, ... Why do they do this? Josip Almasi <joe@vrspace.org> - 2014-07-04 12:27 +0200
  Re: Apache, Eclipse, ... Why do they do this? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2014-07-04 23:09 -0400
  Re: Apache, Eclipse, ... Why do they do this? jebblue <n@n.nnn> - 2014-07-10 09:23 -0500
    Re: Apache, Eclipse, ... Why do they do this? Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2014-07-10 12:28 -0400

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