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Hey geeks! NASA!! Aircraft design!! Spaaaace!!!!!

Just optimize our old code, and we'll pay peanuts! If you win, that is.

We were going to hire someone to shephard the old code, but why bother when you geeks will do it for nearly free because it's so cool!!!

OK I have my cynical hat on, and I can't really blame them for trying a cost-effective approach, but is this the future of work?

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Well, this is NASA. They are not exactly rolling in cash. Maybe you could look at it as a sort of a voluntarily paid tax, earmarked for space exploration? I, for one, would be happy to donate some of my time for the cause, if they were willing to let me.

> is this the future of work?

Not just the future: many people have contributed to open source projects that have ended up being used in commercial projects, and never received any payment for their work.

Good point, though I see open source as something people create for pleasure, rather than 'solving someone else's problem'. There is much blur between those two things obviously.

Not if the people who could solve this problem refuse to participate.

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