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That’s a different angle though - you’re saying that open source has limitations if you’re an author wanting to commercially exploit it. That’s true. I don’t th

That’s a different angle though - you’re saying that open source has limitations if you’re an author wanting to commercially exploit it. That’s true. I don’t think that “corporations want stuff for free” really holds - they have waaaay more money than anybody and throw it around all the time. I think it’s more like, if it’s free for the taking, then why not? On the other hand, making stuff expensive is a great way to set up a barrier so that only corporations can use it. Beyond security and interoperability I don’t see the point in projects that anyone can contribute to but only one person can profit from. Why would I contribute? I always felt this way about dual-license GPL code. It has a first-mover effect that sucks all the air out of the room for someone to create a project with more liberal licensing. How am I to set up a rival project if I don’t also want to be your business rival?

varispeed 4y ago
In my country volunteering at for profit organisation is illegal. Which this essentially becomes if you allow for profit corporations to use the open source software without remuneration. That being said, if you contribute to an open source dual licensed project, you should be getting a share of the revenue coming from corporations paying for the license. Your idea of free software is similar to that in the music industry, where corporations want to pay for the content in "exposure". Another thing - that comes back to my first point - is that if we allow open source contributors to not be compensated, when their projects are being used commercially, we are creating inequality, where only privileged people who can afford to commit their time for free contribute to these projects, get recognition and then subsequently may be looking at getting better jobs than those who cannot afford to contribute, because they come from poor background and need to be in paid work in order to live. In my country, when unpaid internships were legal, they were usually taken by white kids from privileged middle class families, who could pay for their food and accommodation. They were getting experience and better start in life than their poor peers. Your idea of open source enforces inequality and is wrong!
- imtringued 4y ago
  Wow, so you're saying that the government will send interns to court and possibly jail?
  - varispeed 4y ago
    No. But they can send their company they volunteer at, mainly to remunerate the interns (at least minimum wage) and probably a fine.

varispeed 4y ago

In my country volunteering at for profit organisation is illegal. Which this essentially becomes if you allow for profit corporations to use the open source software without remuneration. That being said, if you contribute to an open source dual licensed project, you should be getting a share of the revenue coming from corporations paying for the license. Your idea of free software is similar to that in the music industry, where corporations want to pay for the content in "exposure". Another thing - that comes back to my first point - is that if we allow open source contributors to not be compensated, when their projects are being used commercially, we are creating inequality, where only privileged people who can afford to commit their time for free contribute to these projects, get recognition and then subsequently may be looking at getting better jobs than those who cannot afford to contribute, because they come from poor background and need to be in paid work in order to live. In my country, when unpaid internships were legal, they were usually taken by white kids from privileged middle class families, who could pay for their food and accommodation. They were getting experience and better start in life than their poor peers. Your idea of open source enforces inequality and is wrong!

imtringued 4y ago
Wow, so you're saying that the government will send interns to court and possibly jail?
- varispeed 4y ago
  No. But they can send their company they volunteer at, mainly to remunerate the interns (at least minimum wage) and probably a fine.