16th January 2008, 03:32 PM
Thanks old girl, I couldn't have said it better myself.
I don't actually think volunteers are significantly cheaper. Supervising volunteers often occupies a large amount of time that would otherwise be spent working. I would certainly agree that volunteer involvement on the normal run of developer-funded projects is usually not possible. We have discussed this before. However on larger projects, and on projects which seek to have a specific community benefit (whether through genuine altruism or the need for developer PR), it is not only possible but actually desirable to engage volunteers.
Remember also that volunteering is not just about digging - there a wide range of other on-site and off-site activities that non-professionals can get involved with and in so doing make a significant contribution.
Edited due to silly typo!
I don't actually think volunteers are significantly cheaper. Supervising volunteers often occupies a large amount of time that would otherwise be spent working. I would certainly agree that volunteer involvement on the normal run of developer-funded projects is usually not possible. We have discussed this before. However on larger projects, and on projects which seek to have a specific community benefit (whether through genuine altruism or the need for developer PR), it is not only possible but actually desirable to engage volunteers.
Remember also that volunteering is not just about digging - there a wide range of other on-site and off-site activities that non-professionals can get involved with and in so doing make a significant contribution.
Edited due to silly typo!