

Is Open Source Recession Proof? - hhm
http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=1136

======
Darmani
In a recession, many hackers may end up settling for sub-par jobs in the IT
field or even outside of it, many of which may be more exhausting or draining
than an ideal hacking job. Would they come home to exhausted to do anything
other than nap, eat, or watch TV? Would they have to reduce their
entertainment budget, and spend longer recuperating with inferior diversions?
Or would they reduce their entertainment budgets and recuperating by hacking
open-source projects?

Would a hacker work long hours at an easy job and then need some good mental
stimulation at the end of the day? Or would the hacker work long hours at an
easy job and then spend a few hours looking for a better one?

Would a hacker feel too anxious about his/her decaying economic situation to
hack, or attempt to block out the anxiety by entering the mental bubble of
hacking?

Would an unemployed hacker contribute to open-source to "audition" for a job,
or would there be too many employers with the all-too-common anti-open-source
clauses in employment contracts to even think of leaving a trace of having
done that?

In my opinion, there are far too many variables to make much of a good
prediction.

------
ojbyrne
Seems to me that recession == unemployment. I'd make a guess that contributing
to open source is attractive to unemployed people because it's a good way to
"audition" for a job. So I'd vote for "yes."

