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Diffstat (limited to 'essays/commercial-free-software.mdwn')
| -rw-r--r-- | essays/commercial-free-software.mdwn | 13 |
1 files changed, 5 insertions, 8 deletions
diff --git a/essays/commercial-free-software.mdwn b/essays/commercial-free-software.mdwn index 6a0c828..c71e4ab 100644 --- a/essays/commercial-free-software.mdwn +++ b/essays/commercial-free-software.mdwn @@ -1,9 +1,6 @@ <!--#set var="title" value="Commercial Free Software: Not an Oxymoron" --> <!--#include virtual="/includes/header.html" --> -Commercial Free Software: Not an Oxymoron -========================================= - TODO: Clean up some wording, consider removing reference to Sencha Inc., maybe mention Qt "open governance", mention transferable skills under "Development", discuss application stores under "Distribution", and note that most money in @@ -26,7 +23,7 @@ distribution. [fed]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirming_a_disjunct Development ------------ +=========== Modern economic models around free software closely resemble early economic models around software. Keep in mind that software freedom is as old as software @@ -102,7 +99,7 @@ has the rights to the software, then the software is free for all its users. [13][17] Support -------- +======= With proprietary software, only the copyright holder is allowed to understand it, and only they are allowed to support it. Support of proprietary software is @@ -142,7 +139,7 @@ companies offering support services in free software. [29] Clearly, there is a successful business model here -- one based in a free market. Distribution ------------- +============ Additionally, some people sell free software. That is, they charge a fee for distribution, even of other people's work. How is this morally acceptable? A @@ -160,7 +157,7 @@ so, he made about $1300 per month, a respectable income from something that's "free"! [13] Conclusion ----------- +========== In short, programmers have always had ways to earn money with free software, even before proprietary software existed. Most programmers who write free @@ -172,7 +169,7 @@ software programmers are usually paid for the time spent writing software, not for copies of the software (or more accurately, the right to use the software). References: ------------ +=========== 1. "Proprietary Software". <span class="cite-title">Wikipedia</span>. July 10, 2011. <<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprietary_software>>. |