Open source is the way ahead for business. Involving your user base in the development of your project not only cuts down on your research and development costs but making your users feel like they belong and are a part of the project is the best advertising and promotion you can get. A person who feels involved and valued will be more inclined to recommend something to a friend than a person left out in the cold! As I’ve previously stated, the times where a company had to have the best minds in a field working directly for them are long gone (not to mention the fact that it is next to impossible to do so now). For your project to succeed it is a good idea to engage the users, let them bring to bear their creative and technical skills. Their talents can then be put to use in pushing the boundaries. The Open Source model works on this principle, large groups of users join together to create and develop with out much in the way of organisation. This model/practise can be applied to areas outside that of traditional open source with great success though. A good example of this is the game Second Life from Linden Labs. Continue reading »
Sep 23