Re: ANNOUNCE: Request For Proposals

[Dennis Leeuw]

Aurelien wrote:

> I'm a bit confused about the relationships that exist between open
> source and money. I think it's good that open-source developers get paid
> for what they do. Getting paid for something you do helps you do it
> better. That's just because it lets you concentrate on what you do,
> instead of having to worry about how you'll get your steak on the table
> tonight.

I totaly agree on this one. Don't we all have a "normal" job/study to pay for
our expenses.


> In general though all open-source efforts are at the infrastructure
> level. What I mean by that is that software customers will eventually
> pay for are never open-sourced, of course.

Hmmm, people pay for CD-distributions of Red Hat, SuSE, etc. So you can even
make money with open source software. IBM didn't jump on the GNU/Linux
bandwagon because they don't want to make money, they do. There are lots of
people out there who are very willing to pay for a CD with software instead of
downloading everything and running ./configure, make, make install over and
over again in the right order.

Don't forget: we like to play with systems. Most people don't, they want to get
a job done, and that job has nothing to do with computers.


> However, the code this
> software relies upon is often open-sourced. Not surprisingly, the
> companies that sell the software often contribute to the open-source
> infrastructure. This makes sense because:
> 1) they attract developers who are confident that nothing is hidden to
> them;
> 2) they get infrastructure code improvements for free.

More even. They get a sellable product for free (not so free, they pay the
developers... but less)


> I'm thinking about JBoss here. Those guys have a "partners" section for
> people who create commercial products based on JBoss. Couldn't we also
> have a "partners" section ?

We more or less have such a list on:
http://www.gnustep.org/developers/whoiswho.html


> Therefore, I suggest making GNUstep the UI of choice for linux/*x server
> administration. Products exploiting this idea could be: DB front-ends,
> configuration tools for: print servers, file servers, web servers,
> application servers (JBoss). Maybe a Darwin distribution would be nice,
> and that's sellable too ! Such software would of course run on MOSX, but
> mainly it would run on a large range of hardware, from very cheap print
> servers to very expensive, very available servers.
>
> Now, the question remains: how will we finance the GNUstep efforts ? I
> don't know but I think donations are about the only answer. But
> donations would be much facilitated if we had a real marketplace.
>
> In the meantime, why not do like the JBoss folks: sell the docs !

No, no, no because for docs it's imho the same as for source code, it should be
free. Or if you mean printed docs, then you are right, but there is probably
too less interest right now to print a GNUstep book. Next to donations I think
the way to make money with open source products is T-shirts, buttons, binary
distributions if you like, etc.

And that is what Adam did, he sold T-shirts made money and tries to invest it
into the product (GNUstep), boy oh boy, that man seems like a company ;)

Serious: I think every open source project has a market value in a transformed
form, meaning the sources should be free and open, no matter if it are
documents or source-code, but the stuff that users can use :like printed books,
build distributions can be solled, as long as you supply the source.
And I am no lawer, but that is how I understand the GPL.

Greetings,

Dennis Leeuw


>
>
> Regards,
>
> Aurélien
>
> Le vendredi 9 novembre 2001, à 10:18 AM, Peron, Stéphane a écrit :
>
> >> Well lots of people have offered suggestions of what should be done,
> >> but
> >> really only one person has actualy volunteered to do anything...
> >>
> >> So if your still thinking about this, get your submission in! Obviously
> >> the competition isn't that tough ;-)
> >>
> >       Well Adam,
> >
> >       I don't think people who develops for Gnustep are interested in
> > getting money with.
> >       For most of us, it is a hobby and we are happy to forget that things
> > can be done without a mercantil relationship.
> >
> >       OpenSources softwares are a space of liberty. For many of thus (and
> > you too I suppose), it help us to forget that crazy consumption society.
> >
> >       I do understand (and admire) your willing to boost gnustep
> > developpement but I 'm not sure using money is the best way . :-)
> >
> >       Stef
> >
> >
> >
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