Linux lab lays off programmers (News.com)

Linux lab lays off programmers (News.com)

> What on earth are the other 49% of people in Open Source Development
> Labs doing if they're not developing open source?

It's called support staff. They take care of all the other stuff so that the coders can keep coding:

* Answering phones, filing papers, greeting guests
* Mopping floors, cleaning restrooms
* Paying bills and employees, Billing customers, Making sure there's enough cash flow so that people keep getting paid and don't lose their jobs.
* Maintaining the building (air/heat, phones, repair work, security)
* Creating and dealing with legal documents
* HR people to make sure that employees are compensated fairly and have good health insurance and other benefits
* Talking to vendors to gain their support and/or hardware to test
* Management to set direction and goals for future growth (making sure that you're talking to the right vendors to gain their support)

You've never worked in a company before?