The below message is from 2000 but I think it still applies to open source collaboration in the 21st century. I wasn't part of the Apache Jakarta story myself but have heard of that a few times over the years...

I originally published this article on SD Times, republishing it to keep it around for posterity... If you’re looking at embracing open source today, you might be a bit late to the game. Using open-source software is mainstream now, and being involved in open-source projects is nothing to write home about either. Everybody does it, we know how it works, its value is proven.

[Day](http://www.day.com) has won the CH Open Source Award 2008 in the business category. We got a Golden Keyboard!