12 ms·

So just explain to me why something like linux can be free, but a web browser can't.

• ChrisSD 6y ago
  Corporations spend a lot of money funding Linux. Not only providing resources but even assigning full time developers to work on the kernel.
  • deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  • MaxBarraclough 6y ago
    Right, because the enhancements directly benefit the company donating the kernel code. A similar thing happens with compilers: Sony donate code to Clang/LLVM. Couldn't that apply to web browsers too, though? If a company stands to benefit by some browser feature becoming widely available, perhaps it would make sense for them to do the work on the major browsers and donate the code. From their point of view, this might be better than waiting for the browser vendors (who may view it as a low priority) to do it. I don't know of this ever happening, but I can't see a reason it never could.
    • ChrisSD 6y ago
      The trouble is Firefox is, objectively, not a major browser. I think it's below 5% share at the moment. If companies were to contribute to a browser it'd be Chromium. But there's rarely a reason to do so as Google itself has more than enough resources to throw at Chrome whenever needed.