Forum .LRN Q&A: Response to Request for Comment: dotLRN Technology Governance

Stephen, as a business proposition if I fork, I lose. As Michael notes, at the end of the day that's no different than undertaking in house development or paying for custom development. Yes, having access to the source code can be advantageous. But it's a form of insurance, and only that. I would rather not have to collect.

Being able to hire someone else is not enough of a business case for the long haul, especially I am planning to invest significant sums. For companies and institutions, the compelling business case for opensource is that they can leverage their investment dollars by receiving back the fruits of the entire community. It's an investment in a community that's important, not the access to the source code or having the freedom to hire other developers.