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I've always found open source projects to build superior libraries that commercial entities always end up adopting. I've always found commercial entities to bu

I've always found open source projects to build superior libraries that commercial entities always end up adopting. I've always found commercial entities to build superior products that open source projects always end up adopting. One makes the tools, the other assembles them and sells it. Must be the focus on profits that helps push companies to build products users want, while the love of the craft pushes developers to make the best foundations.

ambicapter 4y ago
> Must be the focus on profits that helps push companies to build products users want, while the love of the craft pushes developers to make the best foundations. Shamelessly stealing this line of thinking to use in the future.
- somrand0 4y ago
  [flagged]
- Waterluvian 4y ago
  I love this line and I personally think there's nothing wrong with it (not that I'm suggesting anyone implied there is). And this is also how I separate my work from my hobby. I'm proud of those who can make money from a hobby, but I simply do not try. The motivations are fundamentally different and it changes how much I enjoy my hobby. I wish I learned this in my early 20s. I spent years thinking, "if it can't make money or someone's done it better, it's not worth doing."
pessimizer 4y ago
Or it's capital preying on basic research funded by the public.
- nordsieck 4y ago
  > Or it's capital preying on basic research funded by the public. How, exactly, is open source "basic research funded by the public"?
  - dmix 4y ago
    If anything private capital funds OSS as much or more than anything else. OSS is primarily driven by time donation by the coders anyway. If they don't want companies using it there is a well established system to prevent that... it's called licensing.
- wpietri 4y ago
  It could be preying, but it doesn't have to be. In recent decades we've seen a rise of IGMFY capitalism. But there are varieties of capitalist thinking that see companies as situated in a society that they are part of in a way that gives them duties as well as rights. That's not popular today, of course, but it's not impossible that we'd return to it.
- matkoniecz 4y ago
  If someone published code as MIT then use by commercial entities is hardly preying on it.
tiffanyh 4y ago
> Must be the focus on profits that helps push companies to build products users want, while the love of the craft pushes developers to make the best foundations. Ghost is a non-profit organization that publishes it code as MIT. You don't structure your company as such because you're wanting to generate a lot of profits nor prevent others from profiting from your work. It seems like Substack is just embarrassing what Ghost set its charter as: a non-profit that allows others to benefit from its work. https://ghost.org/about/ https://ghost.org/about/
- shafyy 4y ago
  > It seems like Substack is just *embarrassing* what Ghost set its charter as: a non-profit that allows others to benefit from its work. (emphasis mine). Nice Freudian Slip there, buddy :-)
- Xeoncross 4y ago
  I think you understood this backwards: Ghost is the developer creating the foundations that other companies use to make money.
FormerBandmate 4y ago
I mean look at desktop Linux. If anything’s ever been “by coders, for coders”, it’s that

ambicapter 4y ago

> Must be the focus on profits that helps push companies to build products users want, while the love of the craft pushes developers to make the best foundations. Shamelessly stealing this line of thinking to use in the future.

somrand0 4y ago
[flagged]
Waterluvian 4y ago
I love this line and I personally think there's nothing wrong with it (not that I'm suggesting anyone implied there is). And this is also how I separate my work from my hobby. I'm proud of those who can make money from a hobby, but I simply do not try. The motivations are fundamentally different and it changes how much I enjoy my hobby. I wish I learned this in my early 20s. I spent years thinking, "if it can't make money or someone's done it better, it's not worth doing."

pessimizer 4y ago

Or it's capital preying on basic research funded by the public.

nordsieck 4y ago
> Or it's capital preying on basic research funded by the public. How, exactly, is open source "basic research funded by the public"?
- dmix 4y ago
  If anything private capital funds OSS as much or more than anything else. OSS is primarily driven by time donation by the coders anyway. If they don't want companies using it there is a well established system to prevent that... it's called licensing.
wpietri 4y ago
It could be preying, but it doesn't have to be. In recent decades we've seen a rise of IGMFY capitalism. But there are varieties of capitalist thinking that see companies as situated in a society that they are part of in a way that gives them duties as well as rights. That's not popular today, of course, but it's not impossible that we'd return to it.
matkoniecz 4y ago
If someone published code as MIT then use by commercial entities is hardly preying on it.

tiffanyh 4y ago

> Must be the focus on profits that helps push companies to build products users want, while the love of the craft pushes developers to make the best foundations. Ghost is a non-profit organization that publishes it code as MIT. You don't structure your company as such because you're wanting to generate a lot of profits nor prevent others from profiting from your work. It seems like Substack is just embarrassing what Ghost set its charter as: a non-profit that allows others to benefit from its work. https://ghost.org/about/ https://ghost.org/about/

shafyy 4y ago
> It seems like Substack is just *embarrassing* what Ghost set its charter as: a non-profit that allows others to benefit from its work. (emphasis mine). Nice Freudian Slip there, buddy :-)
Xeoncross 4y ago
I think you understood this backwards: Ghost is the developer creating the foundations that other companies use to make money.

FormerBandmate 4y ago

I mean look at desktop Linux. If anything’s ever been “by coders, for coders”, it’s that