Yes, absolutely yes. Why do people work on open source projects if not to have people use them? Even if you don't contribute directly to the project, the network effects of the project mean that you'll get more value from a software project as the number of people using it increases.

Marketing is absolutely not a dirty word.

That's your view on things, through a prism of marketing. I respect that, but I personally do not want to look at my own hobby that way. Because if I adopt that point of view, I also should adopt all the necessity of snazzy marketing pitches, principles of monetary reciprocation, and god forbid, market diversification strategies. So, to put it simply, I personally do not sell anything.

Because if I adopt that point of view, I also should adopt all the necessity of snazzy marketing pitches, principles of monetary reciprocation, and god forbid, market diversification strategies.

That's just not true. The only thing that marketing means in this case is "having a product that others want to buy or use." If you don't care if people use your software then yes, you can ignore marketing.

Marketing need not involve monetary reciprocation. Just telling a friend "Hey, I wrote this cool new tool" is marketing in itself.

xoxo,
Andy

If nothing else you sell yourself from time to time. You sell yourself to the employer (and have to do the right marketing for that), you sell yourself to girls/boys/women/men (pick yourself) you want to date with, ...

You might not like it, but you have to do it. Or else someone else will and you end up with the worst job (or no job at all) or the worst date (or rather no date at all).

Jenda


Support Denmark! Defend the free world!

How nice to have a trust fund!