Why Open‑Source Maintainers Deserve Respect: The Social Contract Explained

1. The Legal Contract

Open‑source software is simply source code that anyone may use for free. The responsibilities of an open‑source project are defined by the software itself and its license; maintainers are not obligated to provide support beyond what the license grants.

2. The Relationship Between Maintainers and Users

The author likens open‑source code to a pile of USB drives placed in a front‑yard with a "free" sign. Users may take a drive whenever they like, but they should not treat the maintainer as a mere tool or demand personal attention.

Rude behavior—such as shouting at the maintainer, sending angry emails, or publicly berating the project—is considered immoral because the user voluntarily uses free software and cannot demand gratitude or special treatment.

3. Kant’s Categorical Imperative

Immanuel Kant taught that we must treat humanity always as an end, never merely as a means. Applied to open source, this means respecting maintainers as fellow humans rather than exploiting their work solely for personal gain.

4. An Illustrative Example

Imagine a maintainer’s C code that works on chip A. After users adopt it, the maintainer decides to stop supporting chip A to focus on Rust for safety and productivity. Users who become angry are acting as if the maintainer were merely a tool for their needs, which is unethical.

5. Harm to Both Sides

Hostile users damage maintainers’ physical and mental health, and the community suffers as maintainers may withdraw, limit contributions, or abandon projects altogether, leading to a cascade of project degradation and eventual disappearance.

6. Treat Every Commit as a Gift

Each contribution should be seen as a gift from the maintainer placed in the front yard for anyone to enjoy. If users view it merely as a means to an end, they will be disappointed when the maintainer changes direction, but recognizing it as a gift prevents such resentment.