[development] Why I don't Upload a Module to Drupal

[Ken Rickard]

In this case, I think the real trick for giving back is to try to
avoid one-off custom solutions, and instead try (as best you can for
each project) to patch or extend existing projects.

That said, we have a 'custom' module installed by default on all new
projects, and lots of one-off code invariably gets in there.

But here's a concrete example: I got very tired of using the theme
layer to code links to custom paths in Views. The result:
http://drupal.org/node/349178, which went into the core Views module
(and merlinofchaos spiced up with added layers of awesome).

If one such patch comes out of each project (or, say, if you managed
to close 2 issues in the core issue queue per project) then you're
giving back. The key, for me, is not coding in a vacuum that ignores
improvements to core and features in contrib.

- Ken
agentrickard

On Mon, Aug 17, 2009 at 10:09 AM, Robert Douglass<rob at robshouse.net> wrote:
> You lazy blood sucking pig! (did that confirm your worst fears? ;-)
>
> I think you describe what is actually the _typical_ Drupal developer -
> the vast majority of people doing Drupal development work just like you
> describe, and there's nothing wrong with that. Not everyone is going to
> be able to be a module maintainer, for one reason or another, and that's
> fine.
>
> If you want to release your code and hope that it takes a life of its
> own, write blog posts about it, attach the zip file, and make sure it
> gets aggregated by Drupal Planet. You can add lots of caveats like
> "Needs cleaning up, needs install and uninstall routines, has some
> specific settings that could use an admin settings page." Make sure it
> is GNU 2.0 licensed from the start. In doing this you'll help others
> while helping yourself. You'll help others by making the code available,
> in case it's useful for them, and you'll help yourself by having useful
> information and code on your development blog which will further your
> reputation and bring you the next round of great clients. Plus you may
> even get feedback that will lead to better code.
>
> Thanks for sharing this concern. I wonder how many people on this list
> feel guilty because they feel they "haven't contributed enough"?
>
> -Robert
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sam Polenta <sam.polenta at gmail.com>
> Reply-to: development at drupal.org
> To: development at drupal.org
> Subject: [development] Why I don't Upload a Module to Drupal
> Date: Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:57:22 +0300
>
> I have made a few custom modules for clients. Some of them maybe other
> people would want. I would be happy to give them to whoever wants
> them, BUT it's not necessarily so simple as that.
>
> Mostly they have some customization for the particular site so I would
> have to generalize them like with a settings page etc. Then I would
> have to clean up the code a bit. Some would need an install and
> uninstall routine which I didn't do because it's only for one site
> anyway.
>
> I would be happy even, in theory, to release them on drupal.org but
> aside from the time to prepare them, which I don't really have, I also
> don't have time to support them. So I figure even if I did fix it up a
> bit and put it online, I am then expected to support it. I am not a
> lazy person nor do I just suck the blood of everyone else who
> contributes to Drupal without giving back. I do try to help people on
> the forums a bit and the truth is that I help to "make the world a
> better place" in other ways. I volunteer at a local NPO to help
> people--when I sit down at the computer, it's mostly to work. I need
> to make a living and this is how I do it.
>
> So I don't think I'm a total pig--not at all really because I do
> volunteer my time, but just for other causes aside from Drupal.
>
> Do people think my reasons are wrong for not releasing my code? I
> guess the main thing is that I'm not prepared to support any issues or
> requests etc. that may come up.
>
> Thanks.
>
>



-- 
Ken Rickard
agentrickard at gmail.com
http://ken.therickards.com