I think you are right, and that was the same uncomfortable conclusion I came to. Maybe the gist of the question is whether developing software privately is bet

I think you are right, and that was the same uncomfortable conclusion I came to. Maybe the gist of the question is whether developing software privately is better than developing it publicly. It seems that the amount of money earned is proportional to secrecy. However, I've rarely shared code in my life and live month to month, so it's not a hard and fast rule. I guess my deepest hope is that someday the entirety of open source software and technology will provide such a large benefit that it can work like income at a personal level. The intangible benefits of participating in open source don't help much against the tangible expenses in one's life!