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> how do we deliver high-quality software to the general public that is stable, easy-to-use, and secure, yet respects user privacy? I don't think volatilizing

> how do we deliver high-quality software to the general public that is stable, easy-to-use, and secure, yet respects user privacy? I don't think volatilizing users' privacy for money helps to make a product more stable, secure, or easy to use. It's just something companies do because they are allowed to and it makes them more money. > I find free, open source software to respect my privacy and generally be stable and secure, but I find it harder to use than proprietary alternatives It's a problem certainly. It's not universal (VLC comes to mind), but the trend is real. Open source software does tend to lack the polish but the authors often lack the resources of commercial software. > If even experienced software engineers struggle to find the time to contribute code to FOSS projects, then making such a contribution would be almost impossible for members of the general public, the vast majority of whom have no coding experience. I'm not sure the goal should be for non-coders to contribute to code. I think projects could try to make the process of submitting code less intimidating, maintain standards that are clearly defined, and try to avoid cliques that might make it hard for newcomers. The best thing non-coders can do is what they love doing already: complain and offer suggestions. If something in a program like libre office is counter-intuitive let them know. If the UI in firefox is terrible let them know. It does mean that the people working on those projects have to be willing to accept criticism and respond to their users concerns though. > Another challenge is thinking of new funding mechanisms for FOSS I agree that this is an issue. The fundamental problem with software written by single dev hobbyists or many volunteers in their spare time is that is that the result is about what you'd expect. The more money there is behind a project the more likely it'll be polished and professional looking, but there's only so much you can if you want to keep the F in FOSS

sokoloff 5y ago
The monetary reward for users using your app (say, in an ad-supported case) provides the clear linkage of “well, if I want the money, I have to show the ads; if I want to show the ads, I need a user using it; if I want a user to use it, I better make it easy to use…”
- autoexec 5y ago
  You're right about that. Some projects work well enough for the person who wrote it and was kind enough to release the code, but they aren't necessarily interested in attracting a huge userbase. It's often "Hope this helps someone else out" and that's about it. Still, there are some incentives for writing and maintaining popular open source software. Bragging rights if nothing else.

sokoloff 5y ago

The monetary reward for users using your app (say, in an ad-supported case) provides the clear linkage of “well, if I want the money, I have to show the ads; if I want to show the ads, I need a user using it; if I want a user to use it, I better make it easy to use…”

autoexec 5y ago
You're right about that. Some projects work well enough for the person who wrote it and was kind enough to release the code, but they aren't necessarily interested in attracting a huge userbase. It's often "Hope this helps someone else out" and that's about it. Still, there are some incentives for writing and maintaining popular open source software. Bragging rights if nothing else.