Open Source Resistance: keep OSS alive on company time | Hacker News

A Hacker News discussion asked whether developers should contribute to open source during company time.

Many argued that upstreaming fixes can benefit the employer by reducing maintenance burden and helping shared infrastructure.

Others pointed to legal ownership rules, employer IP claims, and approval delays that make work-hour OSS contributions difficult.

The thread also noted that permissive licenses and supportive company policies can make contribution easier, but many firms still prioritize short-term product work.