Web Design

Open Source Gurus: Why Are They Such Curmudgeons?

WordPress users are ruminating over the founder’s latest opinionated decision, and this author does us all the favor of explaining just why the guru prima-donna mindset tends to be the norm in open source development.

We see it all the time with open source project founders. The fact is, it simply takes somebody with a stubborn streak to launch a successful open source project.

Neither democracy nor oligarchy will do; you need the fabled “benevolent dictator for life”. The recipe for an open source founder is a self-starter, visionary, and rebel, with a touch of stubbornness and an unswerving aim for the Right Thing… which isn’t always the popular thing.