Re: GPL
On Fri, 25 Feb 2000, you wrote:
> > Opened Source -> wider development/support -> end user confidance -> wider
> > use
> >
> > Once you've made something a standard, you can take lots of money from
> > people in several different ways.
> >
> > You've never used Linux have you?
>
> No, but it's crossed my mind. So how is anyone making money if i download a
> free copy of linux? Unless i order a book, or a CD, to get assistance i can
> also get for free online?
>
> Kat
People, especially big nasty companies want support for the products
they buy -- and they want it instantly. You can go on IRC, or read a HOWTO,
but if you're a company you've got to pay someone to do it. It's much quicker
to call 1-900-4RedHat, and demand someone to fix your problems than it is to
have someone go over a text file, or try to find someone knowledgable on IRC.
This is just a simple example, and it isn't always true. I wouldn't
touch redhat linux personally because I like doing things myself. But plenty of
people buy CDs of Linux when they can download it for free. If Linux was closed
source, it probably wouldn't be all that great right now and I would probably
be using FreeBSD. Since it is OSS, development has been fast and releases
happen several times a year (compare that to MS products). I get Slackware Linux
shipped to me each time a new distribution version comes out. I pay for that, a
lot more than I've ever payed for the sum all of the micros~1 products I've ever
bought.
Making money from OSS isn't about selling products, so much as it is
about selling services. Support, distribution CDs, et al.
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