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The basic difference is that free software is made by people who strive to write perfect software, while non-free software is made by people who strive to conti
by devit 6y ago
The basic difference is that free software is made by people who strive to write perfect software, while non-free software is made by people who strive to continue receiving a wire transfer at the end of the month by people who strive to be authorized to charge credit cards.
- jhardy54 6y agoOpen source contributor / maintainer here: I don't strive to write perfect software, I strive to use software to satisfy my constraints. Software is tool to be used, not a holy artifact that should be polished for its own sake. The time I've spent working on software is only a proxy for the things I really care about. - Sometimes I need to pay rent, and will work for projects that are a net positive when compared to the status quo. - The rest of the time I'll volunteer my software engineering skills on projects that are closest to my ideals. These rarely generate revenue, but push the envelope a bit and help me develop relationships with other like-minded folks.
- glouwbug 6y agoHaving your name tied to your publically available code is a strong insentive to make it look good