2009 06/04/2009 04/10/2009 223 Do you love the idea of an Open Source Development community but frequently find yourself battling: * Application components that require chmod 777 to work correctly * The need for a law degree to understand implications of OSI licenses and how they mix and match * Scattered documentation * OS Distros that divide up your configuration files * Cargo Cult mentalities * Learning to use five different source control systems * Dealing with communities where developers are highly specialized and not technologists * Smack talk on the development mailing list and in irc channels * Meritocracies that aren't * Benevolent Dictators that aren't so benevolent or competent * Upgrade paths that require the correct astronomical alignment, a sirocco, and twin albino goats to successfully complete with no data-loss * And more! Jennifer Redman, a veteran user of and occasional attempted contributor to Open Source software explores the labyrinth of the community development model and the trials and tribulations of mixing with technically diverse "open"-communities, from a primarily end-user perspective. 04/10/2009