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GPL Does not help in the Cloud Era MySQL is GPL and this does not prevent Amazon having commercial Modified MySQL called Aurora and does not share it as they d

GPL Does not help in the Cloud Era MySQL is GPL and this does not prevent Amazon having commercial Modified MySQL called Aurora and does not share it as they do not distribute software. In my opinion you should Open Source something if you're OK with unrestricted use of it... including your competition. If you want to control who is using it and on what conditions, there is already solution for that called proprietary license.

azemetre 2y ago
Doesn’t AGPL solve the cloud problem?
- weinzierl 2y ago
  I'm not saying it doesn't, but a (in my opinion) strong point against this argument is that MongoDB switched away from AGPL to their own license specifically made to solve the cloud problem. Why would they have put in all the effort if the AGPL was working for them? I like to think of it like this: The AGPL is about freedom, and that it hurts the cloud providers is just a side effect, whereas the SSPL and its brethren is specifically made to sting the cloud providers.
  - PeterZaitsev 2y ago
    MongoDB did never care about Open Source (as a movement) - their CEO was always very open - they used Open Source as a freemium strategy (or cheap marketing) so there is no surprise they moved to proprietary license once they achieved substantial market position
    - weinzierl 2y ago
      I think, regardless what their CEO said or not, what counts at the end of the day is what is in the license. The SSPL is literally AGPL + poisonous pill for cloud providers. Characterizing it as proprietary is neither really true nor helpful in my opinion. What I hope we can agree on is that the SSPL (and the other similar licenses) don't focus on the users freedoms and compromise it in a way to reach their objectives. If more people understood this and chose to put their projects under AGPL I'd be more than happy, but I'm also glad licenses like the SSPL exist as an option for people and organizations that want it.
- PeterZaitsev 2y ago
  Only some of it. AGPL would prevented Aurora but not RDS MySQL where the core database is not changed... and AGPL does not require control plane to be open sourced
  - weinzierl 2y ago
    Aurora vs RDS MySQL is a really good and illustrative example! I just like to add that this is not a flaw, but AGPL working in its intended way. It was never meant to prevent the cloud use case (neither Aurora nor RDS MySQL) but to force beneficiaries to give back. That they often deem this price too high is what effectively would have prevented Aurora.

azemetre 2y ago

Doesn’t AGPL solve the cloud problem?

weinzierl 2y ago
I'm not saying it doesn't, but a (in my opinion) strong point against this argument is that MongoDB switched away from AGPL to their own license specifically made to solve the cloud problem. Why would they have put in all the effort if the AGPL was working for them? I like to think of it like this: The AGPL is about freedom, and that it hurts the cloud providers is just a side effect, whereas the SSPL and its brethren is specifically made to sting the cloud providers.
- PeterZaitsev 2y ago
  MongoDB did never care about Open Source (as a movement) - their CEO was always very open - they used Open Source as a freemium strategy (or cheap marketing) so there is no surprise they moved to proprietary license once they achieved substantial market position
  - weinzierl 2y ago
    I think, regardless what their CEO said or not, what counts at the end of the day is what is in the license. The SSPL is literally AGPL + poisonous pill for cloud providers. Characterizing it as proprietary is neither really true nor helpful in my opinion. What I hope we can agree on is that the SSPL (and the other similar licenses) don't focus on the users freedoms and compromise it in a way to reach their objectives. If more people understood this and chose to put their projects under AGPL I'd be more than happy, but I'm also glad licenses like the SSPL exist as an option for people and organizations that want it.
PeterZaitsev 2y ago
Only some of it. AGPL would prevented Aurora but not RDS MySQL where the core database is not changed... and AGPL does not require control plane to be open sourced
- weinzierl 2y ago
  Aurora vs RDS MySQL is a really good and illustrative example! I just like to add that this is not a flaw, but AGPL working in its intended way. It was never meant to prevent the cloud use case (neither Aurora nor RDS MySQL) but to force beneficiaries to give back. That they often deem this price too high is what effectively would have prevented Aurora.