Jonathan Riddell, a longtime KDE developer and maintainer of KDE neon, has ended his 25-year involvement with the KDE project following a business dispute over company ownership structure. The departure stems from disagreements about how to organize the successor company to Blue Systems, which had been funding KDE development work.
The Blue Systems Transition
When Blue Systems announced it was shutting down, the company had been working on a contract with Valve to improve KDE Plasma for the Steam Deck gaming console. Nate Graham, a KDE developer, formed a new company called Tech Paladin to take over this work. However, the transition created tension when Riddell proposed organizing the new company as a worker cooperative with equal ownership and profit sharing among employees.
Graham declined this proposal, opting instead for a traditional business structure where he and another developer would maintain ownership control. This fundamental disagreement about company organization led to Riddell being excluded from the new venture entirely.
Community Response and Worker Rights Concerns
The dispute has sparked discussion within the open source community about worker rights and business practices in international remote work arrangements. Riddell raised concerns about employment classification, claiming that workers were being treated as independent contractors rather than employees, which he argues violates labor laws in some jurisdictions.
Community members have expressed mixed reactions to the situation. Some view it as a straightforward business decision where the new owners had the right to structure their company as they chose. Others sympathize with Riddell's desire for a more equitable ownership model, particularly given the collaborative nature of open source development.
I think Jonathan was disappointed because he honestly thought he was among like-minded friends, people he'd known and worked with for so long; he clearly didn't expect to be rebuffed so hard.
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| The tumultuous waters the kayaker navigates symbolize the challenges and struggles developers face in the evolving landscape of open-source employment |
Impact on KDE Development
Despite concerns about potential disruption, the KDE project appears to be continuing smoothly. Riddell's departure primarily affects KDE neon, the distribution he helped maintain, which now has fewer developers. His release manager duties have been successfully transferred to other team members.
The broader KDE ecosystem remains robust with many active developers working on various components. Tech Paladin continues the Valve contract work under its new structure, ensuring that KDE Plasma development for the Steam Deck proceeds as planned.
Looking Forward
Riddell's departure highlights the challenges that can arise when open source projects intersect with commercial interests. While his contributions over 25 years were significant, the KDE community appears resilient enough to adapt to this change. The incident serves as a reminder of the complex relationships between individual contributors, funding organizations, and the broader open source ecosystem.
For Riddell, the end of his KDE involvement marks a difficult personal transition after dedicating much of his career to the project. His experience illustrates both the rewards and risks of building a career around open source development, where funding sources and business relationships can shift unexpectedly.
Reference: Adios Chicos, 25 Years of KDE