Free Software, Open Code, Making Money (November 16th, 2003)

Free Software

How can free software compete with commercial developers? has been a pressing question for me for quite some time, and I was glad that Roblimo tackled it the way he did - in his plodding objective form that is simply resolute (much like the author).

FreeDevelopers.net was my first concrete stab at a business model associated with FOSS. Things began to make less sense to me the longer I was involved (especially the interaction with eGovOS, and I sounded off on the FreeDevelopers mailing list. Since then, I have come to a few realizations through the School of Hard Knocks:

(1) The individual's primary responsibilities are food, clothing and shelter for the self.

(2) If the primary needs aren't fulfilled, there shall be no coding.

(3) One doesn't need to be paid as a developer to be a FOSS developer.

(4) Being a private contractor can be more fulfilling than anything any advocate of anything can advocate.

This takes us to...

The Open Code Market

The open code market is an interesting read, especially considering that it was presented at eGovOS, which, sadly, did not make itself known to countries which it could have done the most good. I probably should dedicate an entry to this, for my initial reasons for not liking eGovOS have morphed into something else which does not alter the opinion, but simply the reasoning of the opinion.

This is a very well done, and much more molecular approach to the same problem. It reeks of common sense, and it allows for addressing of Geo-socio-economic borders
in creating a form of hierarchial structure - since, in and of itself, it does not create a hiearchial structure. Good stuff by Jordi Carrasco-Mu