4 ms·

Okay. So it was built freely, or given/contributed for free. I don’t share this notion that free equals cheap.

by spockz 4y ago

rglullis 4y ago
Sorry for bring pedantic, but it is still not the best way to frame it. I worked in open source projects for about half of my professional life, and I wouldn't be able to do so "for free". I also make a point of supporting FOSS development as much as possible, and I have not ever paid a dime for proprietary software. Free software is amazing and infinitely more valuable than closed source solutions, and we should never take it for granted or think that we are entitled for the time and effort of FOSS developers.
- jsjohnst 4y ago
  > I have not ever paid a dime for proprietary software Sorry for being pedantic, but this is quite literally impossible, unless you’ve never bought a single piece of electronics.
  - rglullis 4y ago
    When one buys electronics, you are not paying for the software directly. Still, pedantry accepted. :) Let me qualify the statement, then: I never paid for off-the-shelf software (or SaaS subscriptions) unless it was available under a F/OSS license.
tehjoker 4y ago
A helpful analogy for me is how you can get penicillin free or cheap. It's extremely low priced but it's more valuable and should be treasured because of that low price not devalued.
danachow 4y ago
I mean this is still so much bullshit. The period when Linux really started to mature (the early 00s) for instance is when IBM of all things were bankrolling the major contributors including Linus and GKH (nevermind all the other devs at Redhat at SUSE). The same goes for Gnome, gcc, clang, blender, Firefox (google!). The idea that most of this major open source stuff isn’t getting funded hugely by some of the most closed and traditional corporations around is a naïveté that I thought was abolished by now.

4 ms·

Okay. So it was built freely, or given/contributed for free. I don’t share this notion that free equals cheap.

by spockz 4y ago

Okay. So it was built freely, or given/contributed for free. I don’t share this notion that free equals cheap.

rglullis 4y ago
Sorry for bring pedantic, but it is still not the best way to frame it. I worked in open source projects for about half of my professional life, and I wouldn't be able to do so "for free". I also make a point of supporting FOSS development as much as possible, and I have not ever paid a dime for proprietary software. Free software is amazing and infinitely more valuable than closed source solutions, and we should never take it for granted or think that we are entitled for the time and effort of FOSS developers.
- jsjohnst 4y ago
  > I have not ever paid a dime for proprietary software Sorry for being pedantic, but this is quite literally impossible, unless you’ve never bought a single piece of electronics.
  - rglullis 4y ago
    When one buys electronics, you are not paying for the software directly. Still, pedantry accepted. :) Let me qualify the statement, then: I never paid for off-the-shelf software (or SaaS subscriptions) unless it was available under a F/OSS license.
tehjoker 4y ago
A helpful analogy for me is how you can get penicillin free or cheap. It's extremely low priced but it's more valuable and should be treasured because of that low price not devalued.
danachow 4y ago
I mean this is still so much bullshit. The period when Linux really started to mature (the early 00s) for instance is when IBM of all things were bankrolling the major contributors including Linus and GKH (nevermind all the other devs at Redhat at SUSE). The same goes for Gnome, gcc, clang, blender, Firefox (google!). The idea that most of this major open source stuff isn’t getting funded hugely by some of the most closed and traditional corporations around is a naïveté that I thought was abolished by now.