I would now like to bring some discussion to an opinion this community has helped me developed over time which is:
The above premise suggests there really shouldn't be any expectations on what you get out of an open-source project that you choose to use. You should view everything in open-source creation as a kindness that someone has done for you and others. Putting things into that perspective takes away the feeling of expectation and entitlement. This frames open-source participation as someone doing something nice for the community, project, and by extension you.Open-source creation is paid for by others in both effort and time. As such we should be clear about our expectations from users and their expectations from open-source contributors.
As soon as you start demanding or expecting something from an open-source project you have stopped viewing it as it was intended, and that distortion can be poisonous to the community and the project itself. When someone chooses to donate their precious time to an open-source project they do it voluntarily as a nice thing that they enjoy doing. They often don't do it because someone demanded it of them, and the instant they feel that their time or effort is not appropriately appreciated as the gift that it is, they stop enjoying contributing to the project. And when someone stops enjoying something they do for free, they often burn out and quit.
Taking the altruistic view of open-source keeps things in the community grounded and healthy. Viewing open-source as a kindness someone else has done for everyone gives the appropriate perspective that this is something nice and no one has any expectations from it. It's like when I hold the door open for someone. Ultimately I don't expect anything in return (although a "thanks" is always appreciated). And the person passing through the door doesn't expect anything else from me either. But when someone in open-source makes demands, it's like the person passing through the door criticizing how the door was held open. It's pointless and simply leads to people no longer being willing to hold open doors for others.
To reiterate, you should view open-source as a series of kind acts people have done altruistically. This means you should not make demands or hold any expectations of an open-source project.
Please take a minute to personally appreciate your contribution, no matter how small. That we are able to continue beyond these 10 years is a testament to all of our perseverance and hope for the future of Dhayavar.
