Why Do Developers Support Open Source? It comes with its own non-monetary rewards

[k_nitin_r 8]

Developers like to use open source software because they can use it on the projects they build without having to run it through the purchasing work flows of the organizations. Requests for software licenses are often declined by software organizations that would rather have their own software developers code a functionality than buy a software component to integrate into their deliverables.Software developers also like to built extensions or patches for open source software because its use is not limited to a single software organization. Besides, writing open source software is a reward in itself - the community recognition and the thank you notes make it worth the effort and it looks good on the resume too.Writing open source software is also a great way to learn to write software for a development platform or extensions for a software system because there are other contributors who would report bugs or send feedback on the application or extension and perhaps even send you a patch. Using or building open source software has its rewards. Sure it's not the same as a pot of Acacia or Black Forest honey for Winnie the Pooh but it comes pretty close.

[Iniyila 2]

First of all i should say open source doesn't mean free , there are tons of web scripts that are open source but you have to pay for the license. so open source developers make money too but they make their softwares open source because nowadays open source is more acceptable, because people are getting to know things more and more and soon they discovered they need to do some changes in the softwares they use and this is why now open source is getting more popular. now we should see why some peoples are making softwares for free, peoples making free open source softwares are from 2 different groups : first those who do it for fun and beside their main job and they are only doing it because they love programming second the group that are gonna make money from their softwares but in other manners rather than selling it, they have other things in their mind and they want to make money from support services they give to their customers or other services that they provide beside the open source software (like providing host and domain for a open source CMS).Now we should see why peoples are getting more and more interested in free open source, i think the answer is simple, think that you want to get a CD burner software and you don't know which one you want, you have the choice to download some DEMO commercial ones and test them but in fact most of the times DEMO softwares doesn't like as the real purchased one and you can not say whether you want that software or not because of limited functionality of the DEMO one. now you go and see a free open source like IMGBurn then you can download it and use it without any limitation, even if you find it less functional as the commercial one but because of its full functionality you will give it more try (it will be installed on your PC for more time than the commercial demo) and after spending some time and learning it you will find it adequate. so this procedure is the thing that happens when people download a free open source software and makes them like open source world more than other worlds. And about the POLL section, i think you have missed some options, the first and important one is contributing in their support section, this option is the thing that i'm currently doing for some open source softwares, as people are still not very friendly with open source they will find lots of problems during the first use, so helping them in support forums/sections/tickets is a good way of helping people to get start using an open source software. another option that you have forgotten to implement is "advertising for them" , i do this too for some softwares, i advertise for open source softwares for free in some of my websites and in one local store. and the last thing that i can say it is not in your poll is "Free Copy" , this is the way that open source operating system get to be known in some countries, the rule is very simple when you found a Disk of an free open source operating system (like ubuntu) make a copy of it and give it to a friend, i haven't done it myself but i know in some african countries this have played a great role in people knowing open source softwares and operating systems.