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Right. When deciding on a license, people are choosing what they think defines success for their code instead of success for the world or the ecosystem or all
by Brian_K_White 3y ago
Right.
When deciding on a license, people are choosing what they think defines success for their code instead of success for the world or the ecosystem or all the current and future users.
They (think they) are optimizing for adoption or quantity of users, regardless of type, meaning do whatever it takes to appeal to business, right now, on business's terms.
If a thing is good and useful, big business will use it on YOUR terms if they have to. But you have to have thought about this some and arrived at a solid principle and reasons for it, and be willing to not care if your thing is not adopted, by an Amazon, today.
You have to be willing to think that it's better for all the users if it is either adopted on GPL terms, or not adopted ...by Amazon. That doesn't mean not adopted, it just means maybe someone who's not a dick might use it instead, and everyone gets TWO benefits out of that single decision. The project itself is more useful long term, and the existence of some other services or products besides Amazon. Either it makes the likes of Amazon better by force, or it allows others who are natively better more oxygen.
90% of the reason people can even enjoy the luxury of the powerful useful rich tools to build things today, for free as kids with no money and no permissions and no special access to their parents work tools etc, is only because other people in the past suffered the inconvenience of defying business and declaring strict ideals. But not just random meaningless idealism with arbitrary limitations, a correct idea, with only the surgically specific and correct limitations, as fully thought out as possible, that stands up to any accusation.