content/editorial/ec1Mar.html - openoffice-org - Git at Google

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 <TITLE>Interview: Sander Vesik</TITLE>


 <h2><font color="#cc6600" face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="+2">Editor's
   Column</font></h2>

 <p><a href="//lspintro.html">-Louis Su&aacute;rez-Potts</a></p>
 <P>1 March 2001</P>
 <P>&nbsp;</P>
 <P><b>Interview: Sander Vesik</b></P>
 <P> </P>
 <P>Over the course of two days, I interviewed OpenOffice.org&#146;s release engineer,
   Sander Vesik. As the release engineer, Sander works with Armin Theissen in Sun's
   offices in Ireland to coordinate releases of OpenOffice.org builds. I initially
   planned for this interview to go into the &quot;Spotlight&quot; section of the
   OpenOffice.org home page. But because Sander raises some important points about
   Open Source that transcend the more biographical nature of the spotlight, I
   feel that this space is more appropriate. </P>
 <P>As always, please feel free to contribute your responses to the OpenOffice.org
   &quot;<a href="//mail_list.html">discuss</a>&quot; list.
   In order to post your response, you must subscribe. You can also e-mail me,
   <a href="mailto:louis@openoffice.org">Louis</a>.<I></i></P>
 <p>&nbsp;</p>
 <p><I><B>Every open-source project has its own defining characteristics. What
   characteristics about OpenOffice.org drew you to it? </B></i> </p>
 <P>I actually worked at Sun before October 13th [2000] when the site (and project),
   as far as source code is concerned, was launched. But in general I guess it
   was the name recognition of 'StarOffice' and its potential [that drew me].
 </P>
 <P>&nbsp;</P>
 <P><i><B>How would you describe your role in OpenOffice.org? </B></i></P>
 <P>Imagine taking one of the great pyramids, say the Pyramid of Cheops, and removing
   all but, oh, 20 randomly selected stone blocks. You could probably think of
   a wide variety of shapes based on just those 20 stones and the position of the
   stones in the structure might thus considerably vary. It's really hard to say
   at this point where I am going to be in the OpenOffice.org scheme of things
   when they finally develop. I just hope the process does pick up some speed.
   For now, I'm mostly a free-floating stone.</P>
 <B><I> </i></B>
 <P>&nbsp;</P>
 <I>
 <P><b>It's difficult sometimes for those not familiar with the workings of an
   open-source project to understand just how positions are established and defined&#133;.
   </b> </P>
 </I>
 <P>OpenOffice.org isn't really an open-source project, and definitely not from
   the developer base point of view, having only one non-Sun committer. Well, this
   doesn't sound nice when taken on the face value. Yes, the code definitely is
   free, but the developer community and structures associated with that just haven't
   developed yet. </P>
 <P>&nbsp;</P>

 <P><B><i>What do you mean, then, by an open-source project? Is it the community
   that makes the difference? For what you imply is that an open-source project
   relies for its identity as such on community involvement. </i></B></P>
 <P>There are a great number of shades of gray between 'totally Open Source' and
   'closed source'. Somewhere in the spectrum are things like various FSF projects
   [<a href="http://www.fsf.org" target="_blank">Free Software Foundation</a>], <a href="http://java.sun.com/products/jdk/1.1/source.html" target="_blank">Sun
   JDK source</a>, <a href="http://www.cs.wisc.edu/%7Eghost/" target="_blank">Ghostscript</a>,<a href="http://www.mozilla.org" target="_blank">
   Mozilla[.org]</a>, OpenOffice.org, <a href="http://www.gnome.org/" target="_blank">GNOME</a>,
   <a href="http://www.kde.org/" target="_blank">KDE</a>, <a href="http://www.linux.org" target="_blank">Linux</a>,
   and many others. [Whether] a project is open or not doesn't depend so much on
   the license but how the whole project works. The license is only a small part
   of that, and not always the most important. There are <a href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html" target="_blank">GPL</a>-licensed
   projects that are really more closed than the JDK, [but] that also actively
   kill forks.</P>
 <P>&nbsp;</P>
 <P> </P>
 <I>
 <P><B>How would you go about making OpenOffice.org more of an open-source project?
   That is, what needs still to be done? </B></P>
 </i>
 <P>I really do think only new people coming to the project and actively throwing
   their weight behind the project can do that. So far, this has only really happened
   in porting.</P>

 <p>&nbsp;</p>
 <p><i><b>How would you recommend a new community member should go about joining
   a project? </b></i></p>
 <p>It really depends on the project, but I think in general [that they could]
   start [by] asking questions, finding stuff out on [their] own (and [requesting]
   documentation for the uncovered parts), and making patches that fix bugs or
   add new functionality. Oh and not going away just because it seems nobody is
   paying attention and answering back.</p>
 <p>&nbsp;</p>
 <I>
 <P><B>For prospective members, what elements about OpenOffice.org might appeal
   to them? </B></P>
 </i>
 <P>Availability of regular binary snapshots, a wide variety of not yet filled
   roles, [and] having what you do actually go to the desktops of a large number
   of users on several platforms.</P>
 <P>&nbsp;</P>
 <h4>Previous columns</h4>
 <p>22 February 2001 <i><a href="MSFTArticle.html">Allchin's
   Demagoguery, by Bill Roth, guest contributor</a></i></p>
 <p>15 February 2001 <a href="ec15Feb.html"><i>Interview
   with Wilfredo S&aacute;nchez</i></a></p>
 <p>9 February 2001 <a href="ec8Feb.html" target="_blank"><i>Organizing
   Open Source</i></a></p>
 <p>1 February 2001 <i><a href="ec1Feb.html" target="_blank">Open
   Source and Its Culture</a></i></p>
 <p>23 January 2001 <i><a href="communityaction.html" target="_blank">Community
   Action</a></i></p>
 <p>16 January 2001 <i><a href="ec16Jan01.html" target="_blank">Quo
   Vadis OpenOffice.org?</a></i></p>
 <p>9 January 2001 <i><a href="thebuild.html" target="_blank">The
   613 build:&nbsp; problems and opportunities</a></i></p>
 <p>3 January 2001 <i><a href="SunsOpenDoor.html" target="_blank">Sun's
   open door</a></i></p>
 <P>&nbsp;</P>
 </body>
 </html>
	<html><head>
	<meta HTTP-EQUIV="content-type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
	</head>
	<body>
	<TITLE>Interview: Sander Vesik</TITLE>


	<h2><font color="#cc6600" face="Courier New, Courier, mono" size="+2">Editor's
	Column</font></h2>

	<p><a href="//lspintro.html">-Louis Suárez-Potts</a></p>
	<P>1 March 2001</P>
	<P> </P>
	<P><b>Interview: Sander Vesik</b></P>
	<P> </P>
	<P>Over the course of two days, I interviewed OpenOffice.orgs release engineer,
	Sander Vesik. As the release engineer, Sander works with Armin Theissen in Sun's
	offices in Ireland to coordinate releases of OpenOffice.org builds. I initially
	planned for this interview to go into the "Spotlight" section of the
	OpenOffice.org home page. But because Sander raises some important points about
	Open Source that transcend the more biographical nature of the spotlight, I
	feel that this space is more appropriate. </P>
	<P>As always, please feel free to contribute your responses to the OpenOffice.org
	"<a href="//mail_list.html">discuss</a>" list.
	In order to post your response, you must subscribe. You can also e-mail me,
	<a href="mailto:louis@openoffice.org">Louis</a>.<I></i></P>
	<p> </p>
	<p><I><B>Every open-source project has its own defining characteristics. What
	characteristics about OpenOffice.org drew you to it? </B></i> </p>
	<P>I actually worked at Sun before October 13th [2000] when the site (and project),
	as far as source code is concerned, was launched. But in general I guess it
	was the name recognition of 'StarOffice' and its potential [that drew me].
	</P>
	<P> </P>
	<P><i><B>How would you describe your role in OpenOffice.org? </B></i></P>
	<P>Imagine taking one of the great pyramids, say the Pyramid of Cheops, and removing
	all but, oh, 20 randomly selected stone blocks. You could probably think of
	a wide variety of shapes based on just those 20 stones and the position of the
	stones in the structure might thus considerably vary. It's really hard to say
	at this point where I am going to be in the OpenOffice.org scheme of things
	when they finally develop. I just hope the process does pick up some speed.
	For now, I'm mostly a free-floating stone.</P>
	<B><I> </i></B>
	<P> </P>
	<I>
	<P><b>It's difficult sometimes for those not familiar with the workings of an
	open-source project to understand just how positions are established and defined.
	</b> </P>
	</I>
	<P>OpenOffice.org isn't really an open-source project, and definitely not from
	the developer base point of view, having only one non-Sun committer. Well, this
	doesn't sound nice when taken on the face value. Yes, the code definitely is
	free, but the developer community and structures associated with that just haven't
	developed yet. </P>
	<P> </P>

	<P><B><i>What do you mean, then, by an open-source project? Is it the community
	that makes the difference? For what you imply is that an open-source project
	relies for its identity as such on community involvement. </i></B></P>
	<P>There are a great number of shades of gray between 'totally Open Source' and
	'closed source'. Somewhere in the spectrum are things like various FSF projects
	[<a href="http://www.fsf.org" target="_blank">Free Software Foundation</a>], <a href="http://java.sun.com/products/jdk/1.1/source.html" target="_blank">Sun
	JDK source</a>, <a href="http://www.cs.wisc.edu/%7Eghost/" target="_blank">Ghostscript</a>,<a href="http://www.mozilla.org" target="_blank">
	Mozilla[.org]</a>, OpenOffice.org, <a href="http://www.gnome.org/" target="_blank">GNOME</a>,
	<a href="http://www.kde.org/" target="_blank">KDE</a>, <a href="http://www.linux.org" target="_blank">Linux</a>,
	and many others. [Whether] a project is open or not doesn't depend so much on
	the license but how the whole project works. The license is only a small part
	of that, and not always the most important. There are <a href="http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html" target="_blank">GPL</a>-licensed
	projects that are really more closed than the JDK, [but] that also actively
	kill forks.</P>
	<P> </P>
	<P> </P>
	<I>
	<P><B>How would you go about making OpenOffice.org more of an open-source project?
	That is, what needs still to be done? </B></P>
	</i>
	<P>I really do think only new people coming to the project and actively throwing
	their weight behind the project can do that. So far, this has only really happened
	in porting.</P>

	<p> </p>
	<p><i><b>How would you recommend a new community member should go about joining
	a project? </b></i></p>
	<p>It really depends on the project, but I think in general [that they could]
	start [by] asking questions, finding stuff out on [their] own (and [requesting]
	documentation for the uncovered parts), and making patches that fix bugs or
	add new functionality. Oh and not going away just because it seems nobody is
	paying attention and answering back.</p>
	<p> </p>
	<I>
	<P><B>For prospective members, what elements about OpenOffice.org might appeal
	to them? </B></P>
	</i>
	<P>Availability of regular binary snapshots, a wide variety of not yet filled
	roles, [and] having what you do actually go to the desktops of a large number
	of users on several platforms.</P>
	<P> </P>
	<h4>Previous columns</h4>
	<p>22 February 2001 <i><a href="MSFTArticle.html">Allchin's
	Demagoguery, by Bill Roth, guest contributor</a></i></p>
	<p>15 February 2001 <a href="ec15Feb.html"><i>Interview
	with Wilfredo Sánchez</i></a></p>
	<p>9 February 2001 <a href="ec8Feb.html" target="_blank"><i>Organizing
	Open Source</i></a></p>
	<p>1 February 2001 <i><a href="ec1Feb.html" target="_blank">Open
	Source and Its Culture</a></i></p>
	<p>23 January 2001 <i><a href="communityaction.html" target="_blank">Community
	Action</a></i></p>
	<p>16 January 2001 <i><a href="ec16Jan01.html" target="_blank">Quo
	Vadis OpenOffice.org?</a></i></p>
	<p>9 January 2001 <i><a href="thebuild.html" target="_blank">The
	613 build:  problems and opportunities</a></i></p>
	<p>3 January 2001 <i><a href="SunsOpenDoor.html" target="_blank">Sun's
	open door</a></i></p>
	<P> </P>
	</body>
	</html>