E-Dribble

There was a time that I viewed open source the same way as many others.  It was better software because it hid nothing and if you provided something to the community, you would be visited by fairies in your sleep that would repay your kindness in kisses and rubies.

I now understand that the fairies kick you in the teeth while you’re down, take your offering and leave.

A few years ago, I needed a testimonial script for a client.  I searched for over a month, finding absolutely nothing that was designed for testimonials.  I found tons of requests for them and I found some random quote generators that some people tried to pass off as a testimonial system to the tune of 20-40 bucks, but no actual testimonial system. So I wrote one.  During my writing of it, it became unnecessary for my needs, but I had this incredibly complex script that I hated to can.  I had two choices.  I could complete it and either offer it as a commercial script, making some pretty good change or I could selflessly pass it to the world for use at no charge and only a passing request at a donation on the download site.

I’m such a fucking idiot.

When I name my scripts, my only two requirements are that they are nonsensical and they bring up zero results on Google.  That second part is harder than you would think.  When I created the testimonial script, the search result for it’s name was zero.  Tonight, it stands at 54,439.  It surpasses every other testimonial script currently in existence, in regards to popularity.

So what did I get for my efforts through the donation system? Hold on to your seat.  Ready?

Five donations totaling $73.00.

For the hundreds of hours spent on the script both in development and support, I received just over a billing hour in payment.

Now, before you call me a heretic and blasphemer, let me explain.  My complaint isn’t with the amount of money.  I provided it free of charge expecting little in the way of recompense.  My issue is simply with the lack of appreciation shown by people that take something and us it for monetary gain, never once considering the author of the script that they’re using to do it.

I can’t count the number of open source scripts that I’ve used and subsequently donated to the author of. Am I the only one that feels like a complete piece of shit if I go around grabbing scripts and apps at no cost and then trying to make money with them?

If the numbers can be believed, I’m one of six.