Good, scratch your itch is a workable mantra, if everybody modifying open-source is the goal. If the goal is to find useful software for cheap to solve your problem, then open-source generally falls flat. This from a guy who's been looking for open solutions for decades (me).
Open software is often narrow in scope, tied to some preconceived notion of how its going to be used, and spotty in implementation. E.g. Gimp, which is useful for some but useless to me - I have GB of layered images that won't import into GIMP except as flattened bitmaps - I'll need to continue editing my layers in future. I could write my own image importer for GIMP, but hey! paying for a PS license is cheaper and faster.
Other examples: file format interpreting libraries. I've used them lots. Each time I have to untangle the actual code that interprets formats, from the cruft around it that assumes I'm going to run a command-line script, or link with a certain runtime, or have a dialog-based interface, or whatever was the itch somebody scratched when they created the code.
If its in nobodies best interest to separate the actual IP from the scaffolding that surrounds it, then Open Source is delegated to hobby projects by people with time to burn.
I agree that there are needs open source software doesn't tend to fill. The question wasn't "does open source solve all software problems?", though. It was "does open source need altruistic contributors in order to succeed?"
Maybe more altruism would make Gimp fit your use cases, but I doubt it. Some work just won't get done without a profit motive.
I only need a smidge more altruism! Just, please, separate the IP in your project from the boilerplate cruft. So users can take the whole wad just like you use it, or take the gem inside and use it again.
Open software is often narrow in scope, tied to some preconceived notion of how its going to be used, and spotty in implementation. E.g. Gimp, which is useful for some but useless to me - I have GB of layered images that won't import into GIMP except as flattened bitmaps - I'll need to continue editing my layers in future. I could write my own image importer for GIMP, but hey! paying for a PS license is cheaper and faster.
Other examples: file format interpreting libraries. I've used them lots. Each time I have to untangle the actual code that interprets formats, from the cruft around it that assumes I'm going to run a command-line script, or link with a certain runtime, or have a dialog-based interface, or whatever was the itch somebody scratched when they created the code.
If its in nobodies best interest to separate the actual IP from the scaffolding that surrounds it, then Open Source is delegated to hobby projects by people with time to burn.