Comment Open source is idealism in action... (Score 1) 394
Unhappily, we are far from living in an ideal world. Where people has mortgages and so many other cumbersome, but also very real things to pay.
This is something that is overlooked by so many ponents of the open source ideal, due to many reasons, but that could be resumed in two cases: the youthful idealism of smart and talented people, that being young do not have to care about such mundane things as paying a loan, college tuitions and food for the family. And two, the voices of those that already get a living from their (in most cases) well earned reputations, or in the well occupied niches of open source enterprise, and so are defending their bread-earner.
I very much agree with those that believe that open source projects could be benefical for many, even for humanity as a whole. However, I also believe that good work deserves payment, and open source can, in my opinion, only be a money-earner for a very selected group of applications and services.
A freshman programmer that has only his talent for coding to attempt to earn a living, is going to have a hard time competing with those that have already created a niche. There are only so many business slots for enterprises as Red Hat.
Open source, in my opinion, should be for most cases and scenarios, viewed as something that is made for the fun and good-will related to it, but not for the prospect of getting money out of it. I am not saying that it is impossible, because that would be a downright lie, only that it is a harder path to take, if you are interested in getting money for your work.
This is something that is overlooked by so many ponents of the open source ideal, due to many reasons, but that could be resumed in two cases: the youthful idealism of smart and talented people, that being young do not have to care about such mundane things as paying a loan, college tuitions and food for the family. And two, the voices of those that already get a living from their (in most cases) well earned reputations, or in the well occupied niches of open source enterprise, and so are defending their bread-earner.
I very much agree with those that believe that open source projects could be benefical for many, even for humanity as a whole. However, I also believe that good work deserves payment, and open source can, in my opinion, only be a money-earner for a very selected group of applications and services.
A freshman programmer that has only his talent for coding to attempt to earn a living, is going to have a hard time competing with those that have already created a niche. There are only so many business slots for enterprises as Red Hat.
Open source, in my opinion, should be for most cases and scenarios, viewed as something that is made for the fun and good-will related to it, but not for the prospect of getting money out of it. I am not saying that it is impossible, because that would be a downright lie, only that it is a harder path to take, if you are interested in getting money for your work.
