If you follow my web design career, you probably know I’m a big fan of WordPress. I work with the open-source content management system (CMS) daily. I also spend a lot of time writing about it elsewhere on the web.
The software has been part of my life for over 15 years. More than that, the community surrounding it has greatly impacted me. I’ve met great people and feel part of something bigger than me. It’s pretty cool for a kid who grew up feeling he didn’t belong.
Recent tumult has rocked the community. I won’t go into it all here but you can read a primer I wrote on The WP Minute. Suffice it to say that there’s a major disconnect between the project’s co-founder and some contributors and community leaders. Recent calls for collaboration in governance were met with resistance.
The situation inspired this post but it’s not necessarily the subject. I’d like to talk about ownership – or the perception of it – in open-source projects. Perhaps it relates to online communities as well.
People Contribute Because They Care
I’m not a big contributor to WordPress – not in an official capacity. I’ve spoken at a few WordCamp events, answered questions in support forums, and added photos to the official directory. I also took part in the Contributor Day at WordCamp US 2023.
There are unofficial ways to contribute, depending on who you ask. I’ve used my tiny platform to encourage others to use WordPress. I’ve written content to help others learn it and share my love for the software. I’ll leave it up to you to judge whether it counts.
The point is that I care about WordPress and its community. I’ve connected with contributors who do as well.
Some are sponsored to contribute, while others do so as a volunteer. But I believe caring is a huge part of the equation either way. Who would spend time building an app and participating in a community they didn’t care about?
Caring leads to scrutinizing decisions made by leadership. Sometimes contributors agree with the project’s direction. However, there is always the potential for disagreements. It’s just what happens when people collaborate on a project.
Feeling a Sense of Ownership
Investing your time in an open-source project also provides a sense of ownership. You’re nurturing it and helping sustain it. Again, it all comes back to caring. The project becomes your baby in a roundabout sort of way.
There’s nothing wrong with feeling this way – it’s natural to be attached to something you work closely with. However, that makes it hard to reconcile a difference of opinion. That’s especially so when there’s a major change in direction.
People want to be heard. And when they feel ignored, they act.
The WordPress community saw this when the Gutenberg editor was being implemented. It was a major change that upset the apple cart. Some users decided to fork the software and forge a new path.
Such issues cause us to lose that perception of ownership. We give our virtual sweat and tears to a project – only to see it go rogue. There’s a sense of loss.
It’s not unlike parenting. You provide everything you can to give your child the best life. But sometimes they’ll do something you disagree with. All those years of sacrifice, for this?
It Was Never Ours to Begin With
Everyone stands to benefit from open-source software. Promises said (and unsaid) make us feel like we’re part of a movement for good. I still believe it’s a vehicle to make money while lifting others.
Maybe the structure of these projects is misunderstood or misrepresented, though. It’s easy to picture them as a democracy where every person has a say. With that, things move according to the community’s sentiment.
That’s not the case. Open source isn’t the same as a democracy. Many contribute, but few have the power to make decisions. Founders often have the most say – hence the term benevolent dictator for life (BDFL).
It’s an open secret – one we find out the hard way. When people and opinions clash, we see who holds the cards. It’s a difficult pill to swallow.
Contributors and concerned users then must make a choice. Do you swallow that pill and stick with the project? Or do we move on when a line has been crossed?
That’s up to each of us to decide for ourselves.
What Can We Learn From Open-Source Disappointment?
The solution to this emotional rollercoaster is simple enough: stop caring. Just use the software and don’t look beyond yourself. It works for some people.
That’s not how most humans are built, though. We want to participate and care about what we do. We want a greater purpose. Open-source software gives us a chance to achieve this.
Ceasing to care means no longer contributing. That could lead to a world where the model no longer exists. Is that something we can live with?
Perhaps the trick is to temper our expectations and move on when we have to. Software isn’t perfect and neither are people. Sometimes a rainbow turns into a hurricane. We can’t always predict if or when it will happen.
Knowing this, we can try to keep a healthy distance. Although, it’s a bit like falling in love for some of us. Why try if you’re not all-in on the commitment?
Either way, seeing an open-source project in conflict hurts. Most often, the solution is out of our hands. That’s the reality we face.
What we do in response is up to each of us.