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When I come across this scenario, I often ponder whether it's part of the business strategy for those who offer open-source software for free alongside a paid h
by lovasoa 3y ago
When I come across this scenario, I often ponder whether it's part of the business strategy for those who offer open-source software for free alongside a paid hosted version. There seems to be a conflict of interest at play here: the more user-friendly the software becomes in terms of installation and operation, the less appealing the hosted version appears.
I'm currently working on an open-source software project with a hosted version of my own (https://sql.ophir.dev https://sql.ophir.dev). It's a website builder, and my aim is to turn the ease of deployment and operation into a competitive advantage, which is prominently highlighted on the homepage. However, I recognize that it might be overly idealistic to expect the same from others. My target audience mainly consists of individuals who will need to manage the software themselves. In contrast, in many other domains, the decision-makers selecting the software and the individuals responsible for its operation are not one and the same.
- cortesoft 3y agoEven if it isn't as cynical as doing it on purpose, you can still end up with this scenario because the company is simply not ever going to prioritize making the self hosting option easy.