How will open source do in a talent-short age?

I know I'm beginning to sound like a Republican here, for whom cutting taxes is the answer to all problems, but I really suspect open source will more than thrive in a talent-short world.

Written by Dana Blankenhorn, Inactive July 4, 2007 at 10:51 p.m. PT

We're not partying like it's 1999, but a Deloitte survey of CEOs finds that there is a growing shortage of technology talent, and some companies are trying to accommodate programmers' needs again, rather than try to squeeze them into penguin suits.

How will open source do in this new environment? Very well, I think. (The picture is from a Deloitte study on talent shortages in life sciences.)

Open source brings resources to a talent-short business that no closed system can. All that code, for instance.

An open source programmer can also collaborate with others, outside the company, to solve problems. You're no longer just dependent on your own staff for answers.

If you lose a talented programmer, their replacement is no longer starting from scratch, if they've worked on the same open source code base.

I know I'm beginning to sound like a Republican here, for whom cutting taxes is the answer to all problems, but I really suspect open source will more than thrive in a talent-short world.

Feel free to disagree.

Editorial standards

Show Comments

Logitech Mevo Core Streaming camera on a tripod on set

How will open source do in a talent-short age?

Related

I fly 10 times a year. These 5 tech gadgets are lifesavers

4 ways to connect to the internet for less after the Affordable Connectivity Program expires

How one company's employees use Microsoft Copilot to avoid the worst part of meetings