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I fundamentally believe that open-source is a model that doesn't lend itself to sustainability. We all know that lots of companies that can afford to pay for so
by that_guy_iain 3y ago
I fundamentally believe that open-source is a model that doesn't lend itself to sustainability. We all know that lots of companies that can afford to pay for software don't because it's free and open-source. I fundamentally believe that the decision to give away software results in less revenue and therefore less money for developers to work on the product and make it better.
In the ecommerce world there is Magento, Shopware, and Spryker. Magento is open-source and massive. Shopware is open-source and very good and reliable. And then there is Spryker a closed-source platform which is very good from a product point of view. I feel if you look at the product development from those three Spryker is far ahead of the open-source options.
I think we all like the benefits of grabbing a library/tool and using it for free for personal use or when we're starting out and can't really afford to pay so want things to be open-source. But I really think the future is source-available that mixes the ability to use something for free but when they have the money to require a commercial license. This is why I choose to go with the Business Source License - which allowed for additional grants as well as allowing free use for non-production uses. I added in an additional grant for if they're generating very little revenue. As a small independent developer who is developing a billing system it seems fair that people generating revenue start to pay for a license. While it allows those who are just starting out to use it for free and pay when they start making money. As I grow I'll be increasing the amount the additional grant allows. For me this seems the best of both worlds. One where those who can't afford can use it for free and those who can pay help fund future development.
We keep seeing companies going from open-source to a source-available approach for a reason.
[1] - https://github.com/billabear/billabear/blob/main/LICENSE https://github.com/billabear/billabear/blob/main/LICENSE
- ikiris 3y agoYeah Linux will never last against Novell.
- salawat 3y agoSpeaking of which... I've been looking for an open source equivalent of the old NetWare Client. Anybody know of one? Specifically interested in the "runs scripts at login" aspect.
- that_guy_iain 3y agoSo you have one. One out of how many hundreds of thousands? "But Linux" when the talk that open-source doesn't appear to be a substainable model is like using Zuckerberg as an example as dropping out of college. Lots of people drop out of college and never achieve anything. There are always going to be rare examples that can achieve something. And the fact the open source community only appears to have one example of how you can build a profitable large business off the back of open source - Red Hat. (Who is currently closing things down to remove competitor.) Really kind hits home that it's a very bare existance for open source projects.
- ikiris 3y agoI didn’t say anything about profit. But you’re right, no one uses Apache, nginx, postfix, bind, dhcpd, ntpd, spamassassian, kubernetes, go, python, c, busybox, irc, email, sip, php, react, … and they’ll never last.
- that_guy_iain 3y ago> I didn’t say anything about profit. The entire premise of my comment was about being substainable. That requires making a profit. > But you’re right, no one uses Apache, nginx, postfix, bind, dhcpd, ntpd, spamassassian, kubernetes, go, python, c, busybox, irc, email, sip, php, react, … and they’ll never last. Again missing the point. And wasn't DHCPD the one that had a serious issue because one guy was maintaining it and he had terminal cancer so part of the things he had to do when he was dying was find someone to make sure a critical part of the world's tech infrastucure was maintained? That's not substainable. I also like how you listed protocols.
- ikiris 3y agoPlease show how linus has made a profit over the 40 plus years. Same with apache. Or alternately, grow up and realize that profit is not required for open source to persist. Your business model is no one's problem but your own. The world will continue on even if you need a real job.