Posted on Apr-05-2008
Open Source = Free
It’s that simple.
But there are some companies out there that are breaking this simple equation.
I see it all the time in Thailand and Bangkok. Web development outfits re branding Content Management Systems like Joomla and Wordpress, then selling them to businesses at a premium.
Lets look at some of the reasons this is shifty practice.
1. It shows a myopic lack of vision and creativity.
Just because you can’t make money off the CMS doesn’t mean you can’t make money. There are dozens of ways you can structure your business relationships around open source and still profit. I’m not going to go in to detail here obviously :P, but use your noggin.
2. It builds inefficiency in to your business relationships.
Taking money from a business for doing nothing, or selling them something that is free, builds inefficiency in to your relationship. Great business relationships come when two organisations really have something to offer each other, be it knowledge, skills or products. If a web developer or SEO is going to start off a business relationship by charging for an open source CMS, you’ve got to ask the question, what are they going to charge for next?
3. Open source is developed by passionate and dedicated people.
Trying to profit off other peoples work is…..not cool. Businesses that re brand and profit off open source are essentially leaches. If you dig open source, best to contribute instead of leach. Even just being an advocate of open source is a valuable contribution.
Hopefully as time goes on, open source brand recognition will go upward and more people will be able to spot open source when they see it. That day will be the downfall of the open source moochers.
It’s people like you, that have NO clue what the GNU license says or why it says it, that HURT open source. You have no clue that what you are saying does not further open source development, it hinders it.
Let me quote from the GNU license:
When we speak of free software, we are referring to freedom, not price. Our General Public Licenses are designed to make sure that you have the freedom to distribute copies of free software (and charge for them if you wish), that you receive source code or can get it if you want it, that you can change the software or use pieces of it in new free programs, and that you know you can do these things.
Understand something my uninformed friend. If more companies and corporations use open source, rebrand open source, and just generally find lots of reasons why it’s a good thing, they will INVEST more in open source….
You don’t really think all those developers for these large CMS platforms work for free do you? Of course not asshat. They have large, CORPORATE grants…. From companies that are not giving out of the goodness of their heart, but because they want to USE the software that gets developed.
Grow up and join the adults in the real world.
Thank you for commenting. I appreciate your perspective.
I still feel that consultants have the commitment to tell clients what product they are using, and that it is Open Source (free)
I understand the need for money in order for a platform to succeed. But i still feel a consultant has a commitment to tell clients that the platform they are developing on is free. By all means make money from labor charges or charge for your knowledge of the platform. But if you are developing on a Open source platform, tell your corporate client that it is free software.