I think we would benefit if more people think about individualist and communitarian views on ethics. Think about this claim: ‘a creator of open source doesn’t

I think we would benefit if more people think about individualist and communitarian views on ethics. Think about this claim: ‘a creator of open source doesn’t owe X anything’. First, using a financial metaphor misses the point. Second, it is often used as a cliche and/or rhetorical device to shut down conversations about ethical considerations. Third, I get it: there are people that expect too much, which can encourage an (over) reaction from someone who shares an open source library. Many people bristle when someone else uses the word ‘should’ in a sentence. I’d like software developers to be more mindful of what it means to participate in a community.