Be Lazy, Be Fast

Ross Gardler | ComputerworldUK | January 25, 2012

The reality is, however, that a well-run open source project is not slow, in fact some of the more popular projects move so quickly it can be difficult to keep up. But what defines a well-run open source project? There are a number of important attributes to look for. In this article I want to focus on the key processes that allows a community led project to progress at speed.

The first thing to understand is that efficient community development does not imply democracy. An open source community does not manifest itself as "one voice, one vote". Instead the community should recognise those who understand the strategic goals of the community and actively work towards achieving those goals. The phrase "actions speak louder than words" translates to "code speaks louder than words" in an open source project...