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I think Apache is a very fine place to develop frameworks, establish standards, and even create new industries: HTTP, XML, Web services, big data. I think Apache is a fine place to develop frameworks that cross an industry and are needed in multiple products or projects, such as Struts and POI. Apache often suits the needs of large companies trying to develop a competitive advantage over rivals; for example, the Java ecosystem was seeded at Apache.
Apache is a great place to start your career if you have a lot of time on your hands, such as those who graduate during recessions that affect developer employment. It's also a great way to take your career to the next level if you have the skills to do it and pick the right project -- I guarantee you'll up your pay rate by contributing to Hadoop.
I don't think Apache always lives up to its purported ideals, and I don't think it can rescue a project from corporate abandonment (Beehive). I don't think the all-IBM projects are generally successful at creating communities or even projects that survive when IBM switches gears. You can replace IBM with any company -- but at Apache, it's usually IBM. I think these kinds of "business strategy" forks don't achieve much and generally hurt users.
Retrospective
I could never regret my time at Apache. I owe it my career to some degree. It isn't how I would choose to develop software
again, because my interests and my role in the world have changed. That said, I think the long-term health of the organization
requires it get back to its ideals, open up its private lists, and let sunshine disinfect the interests. My poorly articulated
reasons for leaving a long time ago stemmed from my inability to effect that change.
I have a lot of respect for many of the people on the Apache board, but it's probably time for new leadership and a new perspective on what makes a successful project -- and when it should really, truly be allowed out of incubation and how to ensure private interests don't cloud judgement regarding that. The world needs an Apache Software Foundation.
This article, "In defense of Apache," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Keep up on the latest developments in application development, and read more of Andrew Oliver's Strategic Developer blog at InfoWorld.com. For the latest business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.