Blogging as an Open Source Community

Eric Raymond’s article discusses the perks of the Linux community as an open-source triumph. His description of Linux programmers seems remarkably similar to a description of dedicated Bloggers, like ourselves. A blogger must release early and often, even if the topic is not fully developed or else he or she loses readers. The best Bloggers are the ones who read and take in their user comments, altering and revising their blogs to those responses. Such appreciation of usership is key to assuring good readership. As a filmmaker should never speak down to his or her audience, a blogger can never speak down or disregard readership, especially because of instantaneous feedback. The best blogs are developed around ideas and topics that are compelling to the blogger. This personal passion drives the blog to be interesting and intriguing, often pushing the limits of a blog, like a good Linux programmer.  In the world of blogs, there are many opinions and views on the same topic, but it is the blogs with multiple contributors and commenting readers that are the Linux, bazaar model.  Terranova makes a similar point in her essay: “the best Web site, the best way to stay visible and thriving on the Web, is to turn your site into a space that is not only accessed, but somehow built bye its users” (49). Our blog, since it is a collaborative effort, is an example of such productive open-source communities.