I was just thinking about all the projects I've contributed code to in the past and thinking, "Huh. That's quite a sizeable list."
The list goes something like this:

• Enlightenment (0.16-ish)
• Kicker
• Amarok
• Konversation
• Qt
• Kopete
• Macports
• Openbox (3-ish)
• KDE (4.2-ish)

And i realized that no matter where I go, regardless of the platform I'm on, if I can compile it, I will come. When I started using OS X I believed that it would be the end of that. I knew it was possible to do things like running X11 programs through its Xserver but had no interest in it. Until KDE.

I've also contributed to a number of other projects where code hasn't been involved (or was involved but was crappy, and led to something better from other contributers)

• xine-lib
• Quanta +
• KDE Docs
• Slicker

I've been able to identify the common thread around all these contributions and, somewhat surprisingly, it's KDE. Not the programs mind you, I gain and lose interest in those mercurially. No, it's the community; the people and the atmosphere they create. And I don't think I can get away. I don't think I'll ever get away. Even when I want to. Whenever I want to get away I'm drawn back. Somehow I am compelled to give back. Which I loathe. Sometimes. Because really, I have better things to do. Or so I think at the time.

And now it's trying to happen again. Let's take a trip down memory lane. Last year I wanted Amarok on the mac (moreso than the other times I wanted Amarok on the mac) and was encouraged to make that happen.
At the time xine-lib, for the phonon_xine backend, from versions 1.10 (possibly further back) to 1.13 didn't compile without some manual futzing around with makefiles. Report a bug, and it's fixed.
Following this was a switch to the recently introduced phonon_qt7 (QuickTime) backend. Dinnae work so well; bug reported, bug fixed.
Macports had no kde 4. Bug reported, bug fixed.

The step I leave out in between the bug being reported and fixed is the amount of time I, personally, put in trying to track down why whatever happens, happens. Sometimes I would find that it seemed relatively easy to do the thing that needed doing to fix the thing that was broken (still with me?). That's the part that always sucked me back in. I don't know when to quit. Sometimes I just don't want to quit.

And now it's happening again. CPack. It will probably be the bane of my existence for the next few of months. Or maybe I'll just give up now and save myself the pain (I can hope!). I can already see that it won't be as easy as advertised (yay!) because I'm on OS X (Just "include (CPack)" my foot). This system (OS X) and KDE's architecture do not lend themselves to being brought together. Ideals from one or the other must go; compromises made OR hard work done. I hate hard work. I dislike challenges. I want everything in my world to be perfect and tailor-made for me. I can and most of the times am, a very selfish person (yeaaah, working on that). And yet ... I seem to have such an aptitude for this that I keep on doing it. Curious. Curiouser still, I never let myself learn as much as I could. Deliberately restricting what usefulness rendered. I'm sure there's a story there.

Whatever. I have this great thing planned. Maybe I'll do it. I'm about to get really, really, weird. But. just trust me. It should be made clear that I don't have a really good track record with being reliable and all ...

Getting back to the topic at hand: Why would I give up my time (a precious, precious commodity), money (and increasing concern the older I get), and concern, for people I've never met? By contributing to software which is, on a scale of importance from 1-10 somewhere around a 2?
Because I am compelled to. Because God tells me to. Because the Devil gets me to. Because I want to. Because it's fun. Maybe all of the above. But if you asked me that question on any given day, the answer you're most likely to hear is: Because I can.

I'm not mister über fancy programmer and don't think I ever will be. My real job limits the time I can dedicate to other activities nowadays. I will continue to avoid fully learning any programming language for reasons you'll probably never know, and I'll probably not understand. Despite this I feel compelled to give back, as has been given unto me. However irrelevant, however seemingly useless, because it makes a difference to someone out there, someone I'll (hopefully) never meet. Because what's the point in doing something just to get something back?

Feh. I forgot what the point was. Hopefully I'll read this someday and it'll hit me and it'll all become clear. Maybe I'll look back on it all and see God's hand and be like, Oh! So that's what you were planning. Shoulda just let me know. I'd 've moved faster. I think I was just bragging about all the stuff I did though. Got you to read it all too. ;-)