Paid vs. Unpaid
maddog's Doghouse
"maddog" takes a look at various factors that go into creating good code.
Recently, I was talking with a member of the Free Software community who made a statement that showed disdain for programmers that were paid versus those that volunteered their time. When I questioned this person more closely, he expressed the view that volunteer programmers take more time and are more careful in writing code than paid programmers. "You can see it in their code," he offered.
I have been in the computer industry since 1969. I have known good programmers, not-so-good programmers, and downright poor programmers, and I really have not seen any correlation between volunteering and doing a very good job in programming. There are more important factors that determine "good code" from "bad code."
One factor is the programmer's experience level. Are they just starting and, therefore, do not have all of the necessary skills for writing well-structured code? Perhaps they have not had a lot of practice making their code follow the coding style of the project they are working on – making it look like only one person has written the code, rather than many people.
Do they have a good understanding of the underlying principles of the project, exactly what it is trying to do, and what the parameters of the project are, or are they just trying to put in a patch and not seeing the overall picture?
I will grant that sometimes "paid programmers" are under a managerial time constraint in getting their code submitted to the code pool, and sometimes quality assurance people do not give the testing the coverage it needs due to schedules driven by staffing and time constraints.
Volunteer projects and programmers can also have monetary, staffing, and time constraints. Volunteers have to eat, too, so they typically work at some other "day job," so their time for programming and testing of their volunteer job can be limited.
The biggest difference, I think, is that volunteer programmers usually work on projects that really interest them, and which they might use in their daily lives. Some paid programmers (not all) may take a job simply for the money and not even use the software that they are developing. However, this is not a solid indicator of programming quality.
Looking at the history of Free and Open Source Software, however, many people currently paid to work on projects started as volunteers. The core kernel developers are a good example of this. Many started as volunteers, but various companies and agencies rationalized that if they paid the kernel programmers to develop the code, the programmers would be able to work on Free Software many more hours each week and therefore bring desired features out faster. And even when paying these programmers a good salary, it was cheaper overall for the different system vendors (IBM, HP, Dell, etc.) or chip vendors (Intel, AMD, ARM, Motorola, IBM) to have these skilled programmers as paid employees (with health plans) than to develop their own complete operating system groups.
This "paid volunteer development" is not limited to operating systems. Other projects are also sponsored or funded by groups who are making money off Free Software.
Many times, volunteers are also paid because they make their own living off Free Software. They use the software in their day jobs, and by improving the projects they are working on, they make their own day jobs more efficient.
Over the years, there have been many attempts both in the amateur and professional space to improve the code that programmers develop – project reviews, testing grids, language sensitive editors, IDEs, and more – but none of these are real differentiators between the unpaid and paid programmers. I believe the difference lies in each programmer's skill and work levels, paid or unpaid.
When I started programming in 1969, most programs were distributed in source code, and most programs were written by the people who would later use them. There were few people who programmed for someone else exclusively: the professional programmer.
Right before I graduated from college, a professor said to me, "Jon, you will never be able to earn a living as a professional programmer." I am still trying to determine if he was right.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Gnome 47.1 Released with a Few Fixes
The latest release of the Gnome desktop is all about fixing a few nagging issues and not about bringing new features into the mix.
-
System76 Unveils an Ampere-Powered Thelio Desktop
If you're looking for a new desktop system for developing autonomous driving and software-defined vehicle solutions. System76 has you covered.
-
VirtualBox 7.1.4 Includes Initial Support for Linux kernel 6.12
The latest version of VirtualBox has arrived and it not only adds initial support for kernel 6.12 but another feature that will make using the virtual machine tool much easier.
-
New Slimbook EVO with Raw AMD Ryzen Power
If you're looking for serious power in a 14" ultrabook that is powered by Linux, Slimbook has just the thing for you.
-
The Gnome Foundation Struggling to Stay Afloat
The foundation behind the Gnome desktop environment is having to go through some serious belt-tightening due to continued financial problems.
-
Thousands of Linux Servers Infected with Stealth Malware Since 2021
Perfctl is capable of remaining undetected, which makes it dangerous and hard to mitigate.
-
Halcyon Creates Anti-Ransomware Protection for Linux
As more Linux systems are targeted by ransomware, Halcyon is stepping up its protection.
-
Valve and Arch Linux Announce Collaboration
Valve and Arch have come together for two projects that will have a serious impact on the Linux distribution.
-
Hacker Successfully Runs Linux on a CPU from the Early ‘70s
From the office of "Look what I can do," Dmitry Grinberg was able to get Linux running on a processor that was created in 1971.
-
OSI and LPI Form Strategic Alliance
With a goal of strengthening Linux and open source communities, this new alliance aims to nurture the growth of more highly skilled professionals.