[BangPypers] The myth of free software

[Sidu Ponnappa]

You missed
4) Found a company to sell services and support around your open source
product. (MySQL, RedHat, Pentaho)
5) Found a company whose commercial offerings (services/products) you
popularise by bouncing off the popularity of your open source (37 Signals,
Thoughtbot)

Does a business model exist around open source? Yes it does (note that
earning an exceptional salary *is* a business model in my book). Is it
viable? Yes it is.

What's the problem?

On Mon, May 16, 2011 at 8:22 PM, Santosh Rajan <santrajan at gmail.com> wrote:

> I have been reading a few threads on this forum, and even participated in
> them. However I thought I must write my views on this subject separately.
> Also before I start my tirade, I want to make a couple of disclaimers. Come
>  to think of it, I should mak e a blog post of this. However since my mind
> was
> instigated by this subject, on this forum, I only think it is right I
> should
> post it here.
>
> Disclaimer 1. I am not the best programmer around here. I am sure there are
> many people better than me.
> Disclaimer 2. I am not an expert on the subject of free Vs paid.
>
> Having said the above let me make a few observations on this subject.
>
> 1) I have seen a few "immature idiots" who think open source is the way to
> go. Granted, they are good meaning young people, however they need to know
> where they are headed.
> 2) Then there are the "intellectual ignoranti" who think Open Source is the
> panacea for all "humanities Illness".
>
> Let us start with Guido Van Rossum. Where does he work? He works for
> Google.
> Brad Fitz the original author of OpenID works for Google.
>  Let me tell you that the above, are only a couple of examples. All the
> Open
> Source Guru's of today work for some company or another. Even Linus
> Torvalds. He worked for a company called Transmeta (Which is no more
> today).
>
> If you take the birthplace of all (most of all) startups today, It is San
> Fransisco, and all your beloved Open Source Guru's are either
> 1) Working for one of those BIG companies based in SF( includes Google)
> (and
> a small minority out of SF)
> 2) The other Guru's are working in a startup based in SF and a small
> minority other wise.
> 3)And the rest of the  Open source Guru's are writing software in the hope
> that they will be bought over by no (1) or no (2).
>
> So my question is, what shit are you talking about based in India? Please,
> Please Enlighten me?
>
>
>
> --
> http://about.me/santosh.rajan
>
> “The *young man* knows the rules but the *old man* knows the
> exceptions”. *Oliver
> Wendell Holmes*
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