[development] Convince Client to Release Code

[Fred Jones]

Regarding the legal issues here, it's definitely interesting and I
will now take care to make contacts, but as far as this job, we have
no contract but anyway the owners of this group are friends of ours
and there is no fight going on--we just suggested to release the code
and they asked us not to. So now we have to convince them to agree. :)

> I think your job is to let him understand the advantages of having
> such modules "supported by the community" and what does it mean
> "replicating and maintaining your work".

So that's what I'm asking about here--I can tell him the advantages are:

1. Testing and Bug reports.
2. Potential patches being submitted that he won't have to pay for.

That's what I know. What does "replicating and maintaining your work" refer to?

> Does the client have a site/service that would be of interest to the general
> public? If so then I would try to sell it from the angle that you can
> release the module with a "supported by" attribution that links back to them
> from the D.O. project page. That could help give them more recognition and
> give their company a higher standing within the O.S. community.

No, their service is only for other organizations in their particular
business. I don't think a link on d.o will interest them *at all.* I
would like one, but I'm a nerd. lol.

> Does he realize that he's the beneficiary of millions of hours of work
> paid for by others?

Of course he realizes that. Does he care, however? Seems like not. :(

Well, it could be that he knows and appreciates BUT he still doesn't
want to lose his own money over it. lol.

> See this related article:
>
> http://civicactions.com/blog/most_important_decision_developing_site_Contributed_vs_custom_development
>
> and the "Contribute back" section here:
>
> http://drupal.org/node/51169

OK, great--this is the kind of thing I was looking for. Thanks.

Fred