The power of open source celebrity

Even celebrity.

Harold Welte did not seek celebrity. He is so retiring Google Images doesn't even have a picture of him. (That's why we have a picture of his OpenMoko software stack.)

Thanks to his work with GPL Violations, celebrity found Harold Welte anyway.

And now comes the reward. VIA Technologies, a Taiwanese chip maker, has made him its open source liaison.

The job, in part, involves him keeping on doing what he has been doing, applying open source and Linux to hardware designs. (He helped bring out OpenMoko back in 2006.) He will also help VIA work on drivers that are compliant with FOSS licenses.

The company's vice president of corporate marketing calls this an "extremely important strategic position." VIA is trading on Welte's celebrity, his reputation, and his coding. It's an opportunity he has earned and deserves. I believe he will make the most of it.

I can't promise your own hard work on behalf of open source concepts will bring you your dream job.

But it can't hurt.