I designed and built a few projects (50k lines of source in about 50 projects) around the JBoss Seam framework that I use when building websites for clients. Essentially, I developed a content management system where different modules may be plugged in.
What would I gain by open sourcing the projects and how much would I lose?
If I open up the source code, the projects may benefit (reduced bugs, more efficient code, etc.), but at the potential loss of 3rd parties using the projects without going through me to build a website.
It might also be good exposure, to have my work and ideas out there.
Any thoughts?
You guys have lots of good answers, so hard to choose one – I am making it a community wiki.
Walter
It depends on how good / useful the project is and how much buy in you get for it.
At one end of the spectrum you get a bunch of recognition, at the other the code festers away in obscurity and you get nothing.
Generally though you’re going to have to put a lot into it as an OSS project to get anything out and if you can’t or won’t make that commitment probably best not to go down that road.
In terms of what you get / lose by essentially handing over your intellectual property, I’d see that, in this instance, as slightly secondary. Knowing the code better than anyone else in the world (and that’s likely to remain the case) you’re always going to be able to take better advantage of it that your competitors.
In addition you’re likely to pick up more business than you lose as if you promote it well you’ll be “selling” a bigger known product to clients but one where people will by preference come to you as the acknowledged expert on it.