<![CDATA[Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on.]]>Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on.

No paperwork. No programme. No manager’s blessing. Just maintain it on the clock.

https://ossresistance.com

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/596511f6-651d-455b-801d-a84f38ba7526/open-source-maintainers-at-profitable-companies-stop-asking-permission-to-fix-what-your-employer-already-depends-on.RSS for NodeWed, 03 Jun 2026 00:03:23 GMTWed, 13 May 2026 15:02:01 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Thu, 14 May 2026 11:59:29 GMT]]>@woo This does not match my experience. It doesn't feel like "revenge" as much as "doing the right thing even without permission" like you might write tests even if your PM says not to, pay down tech debt even if not on the roadmap, etc.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116572813381211449https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116572813381211449Thu, 14 May 2026 11:59:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Thu, 14 May 2026 10:58:16 GMT]]>@mikemcquaid I think I submitted a few patches with my personal email to projects we were using to fix a bug or upstream a change. Because fuck it, I am not going through legal to allow me to do this, else I will have to wait 6 months to get an answer from company lawyers.

But only for necessary patches.

I tried to push for Open Source Friday time at top management level but the idea got shut down: “we do not have time for this” 😭

Anyway: I like the mindset of oss resistance 😉

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.imichka.me/users/imichka/statuses/116572572626711885https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.imichka.me/users/imichka/statuses/116572572626711885Thu, 14 May 2026 10:58:16 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Thu, 14 May 2026 09:33:33 GMT]]>@mikemcquaid Hmm... Fix 'taking without paying' by 'taking without paying'? I guess that might (occasionally) work out fairly but mostly it feels like a revenge attack on corporate greed and more likely to lead to FOSS being banned if your 'activism' is detected. You will probably end up on a list of suspected terrorists. 🙂

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fosstodon.org/users/woo/statuses/116572239520355425https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fosstodon.org/users/woo/statuses/116572239520355425Thu, 14 May 2026 09:33:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Thu, 14 May 2026 08:46:48 GMT]]>@mikemcquaid Okay 👍

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/krans/statuses/116572055693949537https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/krans/statuses/116572055693949537Thu, 14 May 2026 08:46:48 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Thu, 14 May 2026 08:45:33 GMT]]>@krans Most people I know have contracts that say they could technically be fired for ever using a company device for non-work reasons. They wouldn't be even if caught but this is why they don't disclose it, so they don't get caught. I actively recommend people do the same with something morally more positive: open source. Ironically, my career would have suffered far more from following your advice than heeding it. I have private messages from many other maintainers saying the same thing.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116572050773939777https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116572050773939777Thu, 14 May 2026 08:45:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Thu, 14 May 2026 08:17:14 GMT]]>@mikemcquaid Yes, absolutely. My employer is indeed a freeloader. Freeloading corporations exploit open source software *wildly*.

Nevertheless, if I was caught publishing open source software on company time without the appropriate paperwork, I would be instantly fired.

Believe it or not, I have read my contract in detail, and there are no examples of contextual obligations that are “broadly ignored.”

People who do “no paperwork” will lose their livelihoods. Bad advice. Do the paperwork.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/krans/statuses/116571939453494825https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/krans/statuses/116571939453494825Thu, 14 May 2026 08:17:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Thu, 14 May 2026 08:12:15 GMT]]>@critter_in_flux Glad we agree. Do the tech debt without permission too 😄

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116571919829860184https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116571919829860184Thu, 14 May 2026 08:12:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Thu, 14 May 2026 08:11:58 GMT]]>@chillicampari @mahadevank This is why I suggest not telling them.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116571918710911339https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116571918710911339Thu, 14 May 2026 08:11:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Thu, 14 May 2026 08:11:39 GMT]]>@edd @penguin42 Unionisation may be good but it's not going to happen overnight. You can start working on open source in work hours tomorrow if you wish. You say "lots of employers": in my experience almost all will negotiate on this and, if they don't, you don't have to work there.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116571917463090143https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116571917463090143Thu, 14 May 2026 08:11:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Thu, 14 May 2026 08:10:20 GMT]]>@krans If you read your employment contract you can also probably be fired for cause for a wide variety of reasons that are broadly ignored. I disagree it's bad advice although your employer may not agree. If they don't and they use open source software, they are freeloaders.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116571912332801166https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116571912332801166Thu, 14 May 2026 08:10:20 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Thu, 14 May 2026 08:08:45 GMT]]>@Mumonkan If it's not your idea of fun: don't do it, that's fine. For a lot of us, it is our idea of fun.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116571906085247525https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116571906085247525Thu, 14 May 2026 08:08:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Thu, 14 May 2026 01:54:58 GMT]]>i dont know. i like the idea, and i love anything that helps oss. but...

if i had, say, 1 hour a day that i could get away with *not* doing my prescribed work... why would i do *different* work? as opposed to nothing? or something relaxing?

maybe this makes more sense in some sort of office environment where you have to *appear* to be working, but could get away with it being on oss instead.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.online/users/Mumonkan/statuses/116570436310121604https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.online/users/Mumonkan/statuses/116570436310121604Thu, 14 May 2026 01:54:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Thu, 14 May 2026 00:36:01 GMT]]>@mikemcquaid fait accompli, bitches

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/autonomousapps/statuses/116570125887212074https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.social/users/autonomousapps/statuses/116570125887212074Thu, 14 May 2026 00:36:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Wed, 13 May 2026 23:40:17 GMT]]>@mikemcquaid
"No paperwork required. No internal programme. No request for a manager’s blessing. Treat it like the infrastructure and technical debt work it already is and just crack on."

Ah there's a problem, I have to beg for time to fix technical debt and infrastructure work as well

--

Edit: facetious reply aside, yes, wholeheartedly agree with this

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fluffs.au/users/critter_in_flux/statuses/116569906721063541https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://fluffs.au/users/critter_in_flux/statuses/116569906721063541Wed, 13 May 2026 23:40:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Wed, 13 May 2026 23:01:25 GMT]]>@mahadevank yes, this can happen when you have a management that is not familar with how open source or free software actually works. They see employee contributions as a claim. @mikemcquaid

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://layer8.space/users/chillicampari/statuses/116569753865746076https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://layer8.space/users/chillicampari/statuses/116569753865746076Wed, 13 May 2026 23:01:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Wed, 13 May 2026 17:54:09 GMT]]>@mikemcquaid this could also backfire - and make managers take over the open-source projects for their own product roadmaps.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mahadevank/statuses/116568545637951697https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mahadevank/statuses/116568545637951697Wed, 13 May 2026 17:54:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Wed, 13 May 2026 17:38:38 GMT]]>@mikemcquaid @nor4 only the latter is an option, the former makes no difference. This is due to the law on inventions this is based on - you could invent something at home in the shower, and the employer could still claim it.
You can renegotiate though, I've done it before.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/neverpanic/statuses/116568484667381440https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/neverpanic/statuses/116568484667381440Wed, 13 May 2026 17:38:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Wed, 13 May 2026 16:46:19 GMT]]>@mikemcquaid

No paperwork → I would be fired for cause

This is pretty bad advice for nearly everyone working in the tech sector.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/krans/statuses/116568278918658459https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/krans/statuses/116568278918658459Wed, 13 May 2026 16:46:19 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Wed, 13 May 2026 16:37:42 GMT]]>@mikemcquaid Yeh and (when I worked) i did; but it can be tricky; certainly it's worth checking you can legally just do 'No paperwork' - otherwise you can get the project you contribute to into trouble.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.org.uk/users/penguin42/statuses/116568245064164856https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.org.uk/users/penguin42/statuses/116568245064164856Wed, 13 May 2026 16:37:42 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Wed, 13 May 2026 16:36:43 GMT]]>@penguin42 You can and should negotiate on those terms in contracts. Using personal equipment may help here too.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116568241169280351https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116568241169280351Wed, 13 May 2026 16:36:43 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Wed, 13 May 2026 16:36:21 GMT]]>@nor4 I'm not familiar with German law but potential options: do on personal equipment, negotiate a different IP agreement before starting the job.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116568239711550159https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116568239711550159Wed, 13 May 2026 16:36:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Wed, 13 May 2026 16:30:50 GMT]]>@mikemcquaid This is all well and good, but I am employed as an engineer in Germany and thus do not hold any IP rights over works that I create at work. So I and every other employed engineer in Germany automatically fails step 02.

Maybe the fight is not really about OSS but instead about fighting capitalism?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/nor4/statuses/116568218039348996https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://chaos.social/users/nor4/statuses/116568218039348996Wed, 13 May 2026 16:30:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Wed, 13 May 2026 16:21:10 GMT]]>@mikemcquaid You have to be careful in some big companies, they claim copyright to everything you do and explicitly disallow stuff in contract.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.org.uk/users/penguin42/statuses/116568180041830848https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.org.uk/users/penguin42/statuses/116568180041830848Wed, 13 May 2026 16:21:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Open source maintainers at profitable companies: stop asking permission to fix what your employer already depends on. on Wed, 13 May 2026 15:53:04 GMT]]>@eliasp Hope this is an encouragement to do more!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116568069550328810https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/mikemcquaid/statuses/116568069550328810Wed, 13 May 2026 15:53:04 GMT