I want to make my application Open Source, but I'm unsure [closed]

Question

I have written a website, which is my big idea. Now I'm planning a version for intranets.

The big question in my head is: "shall I make it open source?" and next are:

• What do I have to prepare
• What do I need for a good start
• What is the best way to find people with the same interests
• Who gives me the proof that I won't find a copy of my idea on another page, stolen from my open source code (edit: meant like: somebody breaks the open source spirit takes the idea and makes it a big business instead of contributing to the original like all others; please do not focus on this question, I guess I already understand by the yet given answers)
• is SourceForge really THE resource / market place for open source

edit due to a comment:

• in what format do I publish the code (it's acutally ruby on rails)
• what license should I use
• what's the best way to distribute it

Please Discuss with me, give some good arguments pro and contra.

Yours, Joern.

Answer 1

For one part, your idea cant be protected so easily. Even if you manage to patent it (good luck), the patent is worth next to nothing if you dont have the money to pay the lawyers. If you had that money, you probably wouldnt ask here, but be busy hiring programmers.

Now just look at all the StackExchange clones out there. Show a good idea, and quite a few people jump at it and reprogram it. Its not that much of a deal. Many people have time on their hands, but not the great idea. The idea of StackExchange is great and new, and what sets it apart. But ideas are fair game.

You can protect your code, though. But if you do, you are out of the game if someone rewrites your program and is more successful as you.

By making your program open source, that same guy might actually help improve it. Your customers will still pay for your knowledge about the tool, which becomes better by others contributing. You may get more customers, and do more support, and less programming.

That means, if your idea is good enough to become a success, and you dont have money to back you, open source opens a chance to evolve your idea. If you stay on your toes, you might make more money from it than otherwise.

One particularly painful part of the open source project is this: Other people read your code and tell you what mistakes there are. But if you are willing to pick up on that, you will become a better programmer faster than with hacking alone. The price you pay is less control over the idea.

Also, if your idea is good for big business, the big ones might just take it over anyway. The year or so of programming you may have put in there means nothing to a firm. They just rewrite the thing and ignore you. That way they get the knowledge of the code, written by their standards by their people, which makes it more valuable to them than your code would be, stolen or not.

If you choose to go open source, I recommend using a license that prevents commercial use of your code. They should at least pay for the programmers. Make selling your code or knowhow an option.

Answer 2

The bottom line about disclosing source code under free licenses is allowing other people to reuse it. There is a benefit for you too: you get more people looking at the code, finding bugs and eventually reporting them to you or even fixing them and sending you patches.

But you said "stealing", not "reusing", which proves you have a wrong mindset.

No, please don't open-source your code. We don't need it. Because we don't call eachother thieves. We don't need many people jumping into our free software boat just because it's trendy. If that keeps happening, the boat will sink.

Answer 3

First I'd recommend to find the project code storage, such as SourceForge.net, codeplex, google code, etc.

For a good start you need strong willing only.

Same interests people are hard to find. That is my experience.

Open source can't be stolen. So either do not open your code, or change the way you think of "open source".

The best open source license is more dependent on your tastes than on circumstances. IMO

The best way I found to distribute my software is to make announces on as many sites as possible. I made three announces of three different sites, since than I have 10 downloads per day.

Answer 4

Make sure you really want your code Open Source. It's one of those decisions that's somewhere between "extremely difficult" and "impossible" to undo once you've released your code.