[ChrisMarshallNY]

I just like making useful stuff that helps people, and is a joy to use.

For me, it's about the journey, more than the destination, but I still like completing all my projects. Part of the joy, is watching my work being used (and, sometimes, abused) by others.

[DanUKs]

I love the idea of this but you read so many stories about the owners of open sourced projects not making a penny, whilst millions use their work and benefit financially.

It’s difficult to do this when there’s belly’s to fill.

[toolz]

I doubt any maintainer of a sufficiently popular open source project isn't making a lot of money in tech. Open source can open a lot of doors for employment opportunities and greatly increases your marketability to demand higher wages.

Of course, don't do open source if you don't enjoy it - because I doubt the time spent is optimal for getting the most money, but if you do enjoy it then it can very much help increase your income indirectly.

[ChrisMarshallNY]

I don't really care. The stuff I write actually has a fairly significant impact on people's lives.

It is not hyperbole to say that some of the software I've written has saved many lives. Others tend to use a lot more hype to describe its impact than I would.