Two and half years have passed since I started to contribute to the Apache Software Foundation. I couldn’t get involoved many projects due to time constraint, but I improved open source software with many people. I wrote the code of the project I lead. I sent a patch to other project and suggested ideas then. What motivated me in this process is probably the ‘openness’ that open source software aims at.
Everyone can talk about the problem and its solution, and the most appropriate solution is chosen and applied. As long as it doesn’t hurt the open source spirit, there’s no politics there. Somewhat chaotic situation can happen as a project gets bigger, but it also brings more solutions and new ideas that hopefully propel the project. Even if a project starts from an individual’s effort, the project generates a uncontrollable big flow, a unmeasurable social value eventually. This is the ultimate meaning of open source activity; it was the most exciting moment that I couldn’t experience at any company.
On June 8, I became a member of the Apache Software Foundation. I feel indescribible joy that my activity and belief so far have been recognized by someone. I am also very proud that I am the first Korean among about 230 members in the foundation. However, what makes me happiest is the expectation about the new experience what I will have in the foundation. There wouldn’t be any drastic change in what I have been doing, but it makes me throb to learn various insights about open source activity and to help the foundation in a closer place.
On the other hand, my day job always reminds me of my open source software activity. Comparing to the open source software activity, the companies I worked with didn’t seem to succeed to satisfy me from the viewpoint of ‘openness’ and ‘the speed of change’. I’m never denying that I was able to continue my open source software activity all thanks to my day job and employer. NHN Corporation, my current employer, also took considerable amount of concern so I didn’t have any big difficulty in my activity. However, at the same time, it was actually also true that I was envying the full-time open source developers around me.
And the chance came to me finally!
This September, I will start to work with JBOSS/RedHat as a full-time open source developer to spend most time for MINA and JBoss Remoting. I am somewhat worried about the drastic change of the working environment; working remotely, but the fact that I can spend my every single day as an open source software developer is as much exciting as I became a member of the foundation. I’d like to start a new project I have imagined once I’m used to the new life style.
We always encounter unexpected events in our life. I have never thought all these things come to me so fast like this. It is regretful for me that I couldn’t focus on my day job at every moment due to various reasons such as the acquisition and some administration issues. In spite of that, I believe anyone in my situation would have chosen what I chose.