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I've been an open source maintainer (and still am to a smaller degree) and I think sneak is right. I'm happy for people to use things I create and release, and

by jefftk 2y ago

I've been an open source maintainer (and still am to a smaller degree) and I think sneak is right. I'm happy for people to use things I create and release, and their use doesn't impose costs on me.

seam_carver 2y ago
Tech support still takes time.
- badsectoracula 2y ago
  When you release an open source project you are not obligated to provide tech support. My project might be given to you for free but if you want my time you'll have to pay for it - and i get to decide if i'll sell it to you.
  - layer8 2y ago
    Just seeing the issue submissions can have a cost in terms of emotional impact. Of course, you can shield yourself from any feedback, but that has its costs as well (e.g. not getting genuine high-quality error reports). One has to live with those trade-offs.
    - toast0 2y ago
      I have 37k unread messages in my in email inbox. I can ignore issues on github that don't interest me, too. :p Or, as the case may be, claim that I'll look at them soon, and never make it back.
- jefftk 2y ago
  Tech support is entirely optional, and I only do it to the extent that I enjoy it. (Or, when at one point I had a job as an open source developer, to the extent that I thought it would improve our software.)
samus 2y ago
Their use doesn't, but from time to time they send in bug reports and feature requests, don't they? Where do you draw the line between extending your project and providing free labor to a for-profit company? Fixing bugs is less controversial, while finding solutions to issues arising in bespoke production environments, with short deadlines, is grueling work for which companies are usually gladly purchasing support contract. Where is the line past which you ask for money, and are you really fine helping a company avoid lawsuits and brand damage after they neglect updates for years, with no gratitude from their side? Case in point: log4shell in late 2021
- jefftk 2y ago
  > Where do you draw the line between extending your project and providing free labor to a for-profit company? I work on my various projects to the extent that it is fun. If it stops being fun, I don't do it. Making something broadly useful is generally more fun than helping someone with a one-off thing, though that is not my decision criteria. If someone wants me to do something that isn't fun, they can offer me money, though they will generally need to offer me enough more money than it isn't worth it.
  - samus 2y ago
    If you put in work only to the extend that it's fun, then it is probably something with very clearly delineated scope (kudos for sticking to that!) or not really one of the projects that are so critical that companies should be expected to chip in money for support.
- renewiltord 2y ago
  Bug reports are other people doing work for me. I’m fine with that. These are free interactions between people. If you want to charge for bug reports then you can put that in your repo text and just auto-close any issue from non-approved authors. If you want to bountysource a solution do that. If you don’t want to fix an issue don’t.
  - samus 2y ago

by jefftk 2y ago

I've been an open source maintainer (and still am to a smaller degree) and I think sneak is right. I'm happy for people to use things I create and release, and their use doesn't impose costs on me.

seam_carver 2y ago

Tech support still takes time.

badsectoracula 2y ago
When you release an open source project you are not obligated to provide tech support. My project might be given to you for free but if you want my time you'll have to pay for it - and i get to decide if i'll sell it to you.
- layer8 2y ago
  Just seeing the issue submissions can have a cost in terms of emotional impact. Of course, you can shield yourself from any feedback, but that has its costs as well (e.g. not getting genuine high-quality error reports). One has to live with those trade-offs.
  - toast0 2y ago
    I have 37k unread messages in my in email inbox. I can ignore issues on github that don't interest me, too. :p Or, as the case may be, claim that I'll look at them soon, and never make it back.
jefftk 2y ago
Tech support is entirely optional, and I only do it to the extent that I enjoy it. (Or, when at one point I had a job as an open source developer, to the extent that I thought it would improve our software.)

samus 2y ago

Their use doesn't, but from time to time they send in bug reports and feature requests, don't they? Where do you draw the line between extending your project and providing free labor to a for-profit company? Fixing bugs is less controversial, while finding solutions to issues arising in bespoke production environments, with short deadlines, is grueling work for which companies are usually gladly purchasing support contract. Where is the line past which you ask for money, and are you really fine helping a company avoid lawsuits and brand damage after they neglect updates for years, with no gratitude from their side? Case in point: log4shell in late 2021

jefftk 2y ago
> Where do you draw the line between extending your project and providing free labor to a for-profit company? I work on my various projects to the extent that it is fun. If it stops being fun, I don't do it. Making something broadly useful is generally more fun than helping someone with a one-off thing, though that is not my decision criteria. If someone wants me to do something that isn't fun, they can offer me money, though they will generally need to offer me enough more money than it isn't worth it.
- samus 2y ago
  If you put in work only to the extend that it's fun, then it is probably something with very clearly delineated scope (kudos for sticking to that!) or not really one of the projects that are so critical that companies should be expected to chip in money for support.
renewiltord 2y ago
Bug reports are other people doing work for me. I’m fine with that. These are free interactions between people. If you want to charge for bug reports then you can put that in your repo text and just auto-close any issue from non-approved authors. If you want to bountysource a solution do that. If you don’t want to fix an issue don’t.
- samus 2y ago