4 ms·
If the product of that labor cannot be sold, how is the labor paid for?
by MontyCarloHall 3y ago
If the product of that labor cannot be sold, how is the labor paid for?
- Zambyte 3y agoContracts.
- MontyCarloHall 3y agoYou mean support contracts, like RedHat? This only works for certain software where that’s a suitable revenue model. How would that work for, say, AAA games, which cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make and require little-to-no support after they’re released?
- Zambyte 3y ago> You mean support contracts, like RedHat? Perhaps. I mean more generally: labor contracts. "I will pay you X to do Y", where Y could be to write some software to do something. > How would that work for, say, AAA games, which cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make and require little-to-no support after they’re released? It wouldn't. I also think the state of AAA games is awful, and we shouldn't strive to support that model.
- auggierose 3y agoSo I first need to do a contract with some imaginary customer before I am allowed to develop some software I just had an idea for? It's not that easy to come up with a consistent economic model, is it?
- Zambyte 3y agoCarpenters, plumbers, and electricians seem to manifest their imaginary customers just fine by selling labor contracts.
- martin8412 3y agoThose fields have somewhat exclusive rights to the work they do. You can't just start doing electrical work without proper credentials.
- jleyank 3y agoNot a valid comparison as their work can’t be transferred. This, to me, is arguing that software should be developed for a specific customer and not distributed further. Which probably isn’t what you’re arguing.
- Zambyte 3y agoIf I buy a house that needs work, contract that work to be done, and then sell that house with the work done, I believe I have distributed the result of that labor. With the proprietary software model, I would not be able to sell a house that I have had electrical work done under contract. That is bogus.
- jwestbury 3y agoYou're actually making the case for licensed software without free distribution here -- the plumber has worked on your house, and possibly installed parts, just as someone may work on a computer, and possibly install software. If you want, you could remove those parts and sell them to your neighbour, but then you wouldn't have them anymore. Or, you could sell the house whole, just as you could sell a computer with software installed (okay, peculiarities of licensing may make that challenging, and I'm in favour of licensing reform). But what you can't do with plumbing work is have it performed, then copy it to your neighbour's house whilst still keeping it for yourself. You can do that with free software.
- Zambyte 3y agoI don't think I am making that case.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]