On Mon, Jul 26, 2010 at 2:03 PM, Johnny Ferguson <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:hyperflexed@gmail.com">hyperflexed@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
<div class="im">On 07/26/2010 01:47 PM, Khalid Baheyeldin wrote:<br>
</div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"><div class="im">
On Sun, Jul 25, 2010 at 9:47 AM, Johnny Ferguson <<a href="mailto:hyperflexed@gmail.com" target="_blank">hyperflexed@gmail.com</a><br></div><div class="im">
<mailto:<a href="mailto:hyperflexed@gmail.com" target="_blank">hyperflexed@gmail.com</a>>> wrote:<br>
<br>
But, to Paul's point: How do developers put food on the table?<br>
<br>
<br>
I got into this debate with someone on another mailing list, and I<br>
now wonder the same question. I think the short answer is they can't<br>
(or they have to do something free to establish an opportunity to<br>
potentially provide extended service which others could very well<br>
provide).<br>
<br>
<br>
Sure they can!<br>
<br>
Just not by the older model of selling copies of software they wrote.<br>
<br>
They can do support, consulting, hosting, training, extensions, or what<br>
have you.<br>
<br>
</div></blockquote>
<br>
as can everyone else with the code being GPL which was the point I tried to illustrate.<br></blockquote><div><br>Bingo, so you have to differentiate, find a niche, provide more value, ...etc.<br><br>Who says business was easy?<br>
<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
I guess as an example:<br>
1. Team X creates WebWidget5000, spending $4000<br>
2. Team X creates WW5000 Support Premium<br>
3. Team Y comes along and undercuts WW5000 Support Premium<br>
4. Team X is very sad<br>
5. Team Y laughs mischievously<br></blockquote><div><br>So you are talking about commodity markets: Look at the shared hosting market <br>and tell me how can someone make a profit on $4.99 a month plans? Overbooking and airlines come to mind.<br>
<br>Depends on your business model if you want to stay in such a market or not: if you can get 100,000 such clients and you have a good cost structure, then maybe. Otherwise, you are better not competing in such a market.<br>
<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
I suppose whether GPL or Proprietary, the same scenario could occur, but with proprietary, Team Y would have to have some kind of magical powers. I just think the GPL has potential to make it difficult selling extended services.<br>
</blockquote><div><br>The GPL is just a license. Selling X or Y or Z is a business question, depending on the market you are in. The GPL is just one factor here, but there are other equally important factors.<br><br></div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
This is purely from theory. I've never made a massive GPL app or tried to sell support licenses. Any counterexamples would be welcome.</blockquote><div><br>I have.<br><br>I gave a talk about that a couple of years back at the KWLUG.<br>
<br><a href="http://baheyeldin.com/technology/drupal/june-2-2008-presentation-drupal-fun-and-profit-how-make-a-career-open-source.html">http://baheyeldin.com/technology/drupal/june-2-2008-presentation-drupal-fun-and-profit-how-make-a-career-open-source.html</a><br>
<br>Here is an updated version with video too<br><a href="http://2bits.com/articles/presentation-free-software-and-open-source-symposium-fsoss-open-source-fun-and-profit.html">http://2bits.com/articles/presentation-free-software-and-open-source-symposium-fsoss-open-source-fun-and-profit.html</a><br>
<div class="im"></div></div></div><br>-- <br>Khalid M. Baheyeldin<br><a href="http://2bits.com">2bits.com</a>, Inc.<br><a href="http://2bits.com">http://2bits.com</a><br>Drupal optimization, development, customization and consulting.<br>
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. -- Edsger W.Dijkstra<br>Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. -- Leonardo da Vinci<br>