4 ms·

Armin Ronacher's blog post concerning this topic: http://lucumr.pocoo.org/2019/11/4/open-source-and-saas/ http://lucumr.pocoo.org/2019/11/4/open-source-and-saas

Armin Ronacher's blog post concerning this topic: http://lucumr.pocoo.org/2019/11/4/open-source-and-saas/ http://lucumr.pocoo.org/2019/11/4/open-source-and-saas/

tedivm 7y ago
I find the distinction between libraries and applications to be rather self serving. It's basically saying "I want to use these open source libraries to bootstrap my business, but I don't believe others should be able to use my code in an open source way because apps should have profit". Now, I'm not disagreeing that one of the goals many people have for building code is to make money. But this line between apps and libraries is completely artificial and seems to exist for no reason other than justifying their closing a previously open source project.
- the_mitsuhiko 7y ago
  > I find the distinction between libraries and applications to be rather self serving. It's basically saying "I want to use these open source libraries to bootstrap my business, but I don't believe others should be able to use my code in an open source way because apps should have profit". I generally believe that people should get a reward for the work they do. For me personally the rewards I got for my work on Flask, Jinja and many of my Open Source libraries was non monetary but awesome on many other levels. I got to travel to many countries, speak at conference, and I got a lot of experience and exposure through it. I am content. However I know from many people that they wish they could also make a living from Open Source libraries and I do not have an answer to that — yet? I believe the BSL is an answer for applications, I don't think it works for libraries because of the reasons mentioned. I wish I had an answer however for people that want to live off their Open Source work. The line might be arbitrary for some, but it's not arbitrary for me.
  - UncleEntity 7y ago
    I see it as the same as the art school graduates who really, really want to make a living out of making art and finding in the real world a really, really small minority of artists can live off the art they produce. Then they get a job teaching art to the next generation of people who really, really want to live off of making art.
- eeZah7Ux 7y ago
  > I find the distinction between libraries and applications to be rather self serving It is. It turns libraries into a free commodity and this turns the efforts of developer into unpaid labor for companies selling software or services.
  - the_mitsuhiko 7y ago
    > It is. It turns libraries into a free commodity and this turns the efforts of developer into unpaid labor for companies selling software or services. I don't think libraries should be unpaid labor — I just don't have an answer for monetizing them. That's the difference.
- jlawer 7y ago
  I wouldn't use the term self serving. Armin has made massive contributions with open source libraries (Flask, Jinja2, Click, etc). I think with a suitable developer culture (people actively contributing back to the commons), that this is a great model. Unfortunately in the real world there are many more people willing to take from open source then contribute.

Armin Ronacher's blog post concerning this topic: http://lucumr.pocoo.org/2019/11/4/open-source-and-saas/ http://lucumr.pocoo.org/2019/11/4/open-source-and-saas/

tedivm 7y ago

I find the distinction between libraries and applications to be rather self serving. It's basically saying "I want to use these open source libraries to bootstrap my business, but I don't believe others should be able to use my code in an open source way because apps should have profit". Now, I'm not disagreeing that one of the goals many people have for building code is to make money. But this line between apps and libraries is completely artificial and seems to exist for no reason other than justifying their closing a previously open source project.

the_mitsuhiko 7y ago
> I find the distinction between libraries and applications to be rather self serving. It's basically saying "I want to use these open source libraries to bootstrap my business, but I don't believe others should be able to use my code in an open source way because apps should have profit". I generally believe that people should get a reward for the work they do. For me personally the rewards I got for my work on Flask, Jinja and many of my Open Source libraries was non monetary but awesome on many other levels. I got to travel to many countries, speak at conference, and I got a lot of experience and exposure through it. I am content. However I know from many people that they wish they could also make a living from Open Source libraries and I do not have an answer to that — yet? I believe the BSL is an answer for applications, I don't think it works for libraries because of the reasons mentioned. I wish I had an answer however for people that want to live off their Open Source work. The line might be arbitrary for some, but it's not arbitrary for me.
- UncleEntity 7y ago
  I see it as the same as the art school graduates who really, really want to make a living out of making art and finding in the real world a really, really small minority of artists can live off the art they produce. Then they get a job teaching art to the next generation of people who really, really want to live off of making art.
eeZah7Ux 7y ago
> I find the distinction between libraries and applications to be rather self serving It is. It turns libraries into a free commodity and this turns the efforts of developer into unpaid labor for companies selling software or services.
- the_mitsuhiko 7y ago
  > It is. It turns libraries into a free commodity and this turns the efforts of developer into unpaid labor for companies selling software or services. I don't think libraries should be unpaid labor — I just don't have an answer for monetizing them. That's the difference.
jlawer 7y ago
I wouldn't use the term self serving. Armin has made massive contributions with open source libraries (Flask, Jinja2, Click, etc). I think with a suitable developer culture (people actively contributing back to the commons), that this is a great model. Unfortunately in the real world there are many more people willing to take from open source then contribute.