Comment by ZeroCool2u
1 day ago
Igalia is a bit unique as it serves as a single corporate entity for organizing a lot of sponsored work on the Linux kernel and open source projects. You'll notice in their blog posts they have collaborations with a number of other large companies seeking to sponsor very specific development work. For example, Google works with them a lot. I think it really just simplifies a lot of logistics for paying folks to do this kind of work, plus the Igalia employees can get shared efficiency's and savings for things like benefits etc.
Oh ok, so Igalia owns the developer sweatshops now. Got it.
This seems to be a win-win where developers benefit from more work in niche areas, companies benefit by getting better developers for the things they want done, and Igalia gets paid (effectively) for matching the two together, sourcing sufficient work/developers, etc.
I don't know much about Igalia but they are worker owned and I always see them work on high skill requirement tasks. Makes me wish I was good enough to work for them.
Just because work is 'out-sourced' to contractors does not mean it is a sweatshop....
It's a cooperative sweatshop in that sense.
And the developers own Igalia.