Open Source + IRC
While being stuck behind a firewall that blocked IRC traffic, I realized that IRC is one of the most useful tools when working with open source software. The thought had never occured to me, but of the 3 major open source projects I’ve had the pleasure of using – all had active members in their respective IRC channels. #dojo on freenode is amazing. Followed by #rubyonrails and #monorail, both on freenode. I’ve used .NET products in the past, and we DID have an MS support account. This was very helpful, but – we were paying a major premium for it. My experience in open source IRC chatrooms have by and large compared to paid support from larger firms. In most cases, exceeding expectations. Keep in mind though – you should certainly consider giving back.
