4 ms·

Open Source is not a Business Model

4 points by ezekg 2y ago

EGreg 2y ago
Sure it is! Look at Automattic. Wordpress powers 40% of all web sites in the world and the company is worth billions. Same with RedHat Linux, etc. And now, it has even become possible to monetize open source software, journalism and other digital content through network effects: https://qbix.com/ecosystem#Decentralizing-the-Marketplace https://qbix.com/ecosystem#Decentralizing-the-Marketplace
- ezekg 2y ago
  Did you read the post? Open Source isn't Automattic's business model -- it's their distribution model.
- tonetegeatinst 2y ago
  Source for that WordPress statistic?
  - EGreg 2y ago
    https://barn2.com/blog/wordpress-market-share/ https://barn2.com/blog/wordpress-market-share/ https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress https://as.wordpress.org/40-percent-of-web/ https://as.wordpress.org/40-percent-of-web/ It’s grown, 43%
talldayo 2y ago
> The second part of this story comes down to why customers might choose Open Source software in the first place. Many of them are looking to invest into modern, less mature technologies. This, in my eyes, is the opposite of why most Open Source software is selected. Business technology over the past 10 years has been obsessed with disruption, to the point that you're almost always pitched some greenfield tech with 2 or 3 production-integrated customers. The old guard is Open Source, you're never not comparing a new product to the free alternatives that can be had for nothing. That was a big part of the GNU movement and persists as an advantage today. Open Source isn't a business model, but if you can't give your product away for free there's practically no chance you'll succeed with less permissive licensing. Frankly if you spend that much time tinkering with a trendy license like BSL or FSL, I'll basically conclude you're insecure about your product's image.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

4 ms·

Open Source is not a Business Model

4 points by ezekg 2y ago

EGreg 2y ago
Sure it is! Look at Automattic. Wordpress powers 40% of all web sites in the world and the company is worth billions. Same with RedHat Linux, etc. And now, it has even become possible to monetize open source software, journalism and other digital content through network effects: https://qbix.com/ecosystem#Decentralizing-the-Marketplace https://qbix.com/ecosystem#Decentralizing-the-Marketplace
- ezekg 2y ago
  Did you read the post? Open Source isn't Automattic's business model -- it's their distribution model.
- tonetegeatinst 2y ago
  Source for that WordPress statistic?
  - EGreg 2y ago
    https://barn2.com/blog/wordpress-market-share/ https://barn2.com/blog/wordpress-market-share/ https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/cm-wordpress https://as.wordpress.org/40-percent-of-web/ https://as.wordpress.org/40-percent-of-web/ It’s grown, 43%
talldayo 2y ago
> The second part of this story comes down to why customers might choose Open Source software in the first place. Many of them are looking to invest into modern, less mature technologies. This, in my eyes, is the opposite of why most Open Source software is selected. Business technology over the past 10 years has been obsessed with disruption, to the point that you're almost always pitched some greenfield tech with 2 or 3 production-integrated customers. The old guard is Open Source, you're never not comparing a new product to the free alternatives that can be had for nothing. That was a big part of the GNU movement and persists as an advantage today. Open Source isn't a business model, but if you can't give your product away for free there's practically no chance you'll succeed with less permissive licensing. Frankly if you spend that much time tinkering with a trendy license like BSL or FSL, I'll basically conclude you're insecure about your product's image.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]