I once visited a community with similar questions.
"Is it worth to ...?"
I will answer the same as I did back then. What does it mean for something to have worth to you? That is not a rethorical question.
Ask HN: Should I open source or not?
11–20 of 21 posts
Re: Ask HN: Should I open source or not?
#12I once visited a community with similar questions. "Is it worth to ...?" I will answer the same as I did back then. What does it mean for something to have worth to you? That is not a rethorical question.
This is actually a great question. For me, as an individual, the software I create to fulfill an important need for blind people would be worth it. But having said that, I shouldn't just look at it from one perspective—I need to consider it from other angles as well.
I have to anticipate how the code will be received once I open source it, and my question was a way to fill the gaps I might have about the consequences of releasing the code under a certain license.
I guess I could bypass all these inquiries, lazily upload my code to GitHub, have vultures like Google find it, copy it, and put it into Google Maps. They may or may not care about catering to blind people (the original intended audience), and then my little code would just fade away, as a more refined version would likely emerge elsewhere.
Re: Ask HN: Should I open source or not?
#13No. Do not open source it. Respect yourself and the work you have accomplished. If you have no interest of making a business from your code, you can give away the finished software for free. Then you can postpone the decision if you want to make it a source of income later in the future. There are no benefits at all for you by making the code open source. There are no benefits for users either. The only people who be…
Accessibility tools often thrive as open source precisely because they can be adapted to diverse needs, audited for security, and maintained by communities when individual developers move on.
Re: Ask HN: Should I open source or not?
#14I once visited a community with similar questions. "Is it worth to ...?" I will answer the same as I did back then. What does it mean for something to have worth to you? That is not a rethorical question.
This is actually a great question. For me, as an individual, the software I create to fulfill an important need for blind people would be worth it. But having said that, I shouldn't just look at it from one perspective—I need to consider it from other angles as well. I have to anticipate how the code will be received once I open source it, and my question was a way to fill the gaps I might have about the consequences…
I am visually able, so I cannot relate much to the visually impaired cause. The best I can do is try to understand their fight. Maybe tell their story from time to time. Bring their goals to a wider audience.
Your intention in assisting technologies sounds noble. However, precisely because of that, I cannot stain your own path with my opinions regarding how to license it.
Re: Ask HN: Should I open source or not?
#15A long time ago, I was a math T.A. in the university and the main T.A. of my course was blind. He used a screen reader for everything, and wrote LaTeX and had a paper versions of the courser exercises in Braile+LaTeX (IIRC).
> a PDF alternative for the blind
I'm not sure what it means. It's a PDF reader? It's another format that is similar PDF but more screen reader friendly?
> Google Maps/navigation for the blind in my city
Do you know https://www.openstreetmap.org/ The data is open, so it may be useful to build an easier to use client, so you don't have to collect all the info.
> I am concerned about parasitic big corporations taking the code and putting it behind a paywall
Probably AGPL is better for your intentions.
> Not only would I be inviting disorganized, poorly constructed code,
There is no obligation as a maintainer to merge all PR. But remember to be nice.
Re: Ask HN: Should I open source or not?
#16A long time ago, I was a math T.A. in the university and the main T.A. of my course was blind. He used a screen reader for everything, and wrote LaTeX and had a paper versions of the courser exercises in Braile+LaTeX (IIRC). > a PDF alternative for the blind I'm not sure what it means. It's a PDF reader? It's another format that is similar PDF but more screen reader friendly? > Google Maps/navigation for the blind in…
>I'm not sure what it means. It's a PDF reader? It's another format that is similar PDF but more screen reader friendly?
Yes, a PDF alternative optimized for screen readers. For some reason, PDFs have clunky functionality when it comes to working with my screen reader. PDF URLs are especially egregious—VoiceOver really struggles to read them. So, I started writing a new file format that allows screen reader compatibility from the start.
>The data is open, so it may be useful to build an easier to use client, so you don't have to collect all the info.
Yes, I know that website—I’ll use it if I need it. So far, I’ve been preoccupied with some other data that neither Open Maps nor Google provides. I’m about 30–35% done. I also have to think about whether to go open or closed source before using their data. Even though what they provide is mostly public domain, nonetheless, I want to stick to my own principles: credit/donate where it’s due, or go without.
>There is no obligation as a maintainer to merge all PR. But remember to be nice.
Good advice.
Re: Ask HN: Should I open source or not?
#17A long time ago, I was a math T.A. in the university and the main T.A. of my course was blind. He used a screen reader for everything, and wrote LaTeX and had a paper versions of the courser exercises in Braile+LaTeX (IIRC). > a PDF alternative for the blind I'm not sure what it means. It's a PDF reader? It's another format that is similar PDF but more screen reader friendly? > Google Maps/navigation for the blind in…
>I'm not sure what it means. It's a PDF reader? It's another format that is similar PDF but more screen reader friendly? Yes, a PDF alternative optimized for screen readers. For some reason, PDFs have clunky functionality when it comes to working with my screen reader. PDF URLs are especially egregious—VoiceOver really struggles to read them. So, I started writing a new file format that allows screen reader compatibi…
> I’ve been preoccupied with some other data that neither Open Maps nor Google provides.
As an avid OpenStreetMapper I honestly wonder what kind of data is missing in OpenStreetMap. Is that something sighted persons cannot grasp and thus not add to OSM? Have you seen https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_for_the_blind ? Is something missing there?
> I also have to think about whether to go open or closed source before using their data.
No, you don’t. If you use the map data, you have to attribute it, but your code doesn’t need to be open. See https://osmfoundation.org/wiki/Licence/Attribution_Guideline... for the guidelines on attribution.
Re: Ask HN: Should I open source or not?
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
>I'm not sure what it means. It's a PDF reader? It's another format that is similar PDF but more screen reader friendly? Yes, a PDF alternative optimized for screen readers. For some reason, PDFs have clunky functionality when it comes to working with my screen reader. PDF URLs are especially egregious—VoiceOver really struggles to read them. So, I started writing a new file format that allows screen reader compatibi…
> I’ve been preoccupied with some other data that neither Open Maps nor Google provides. As an avid OpenStreetMapper I honestly wonder what kind of data is missing in OpenStreetMap. Is that something sighted persons cannot grasp and thus not add to OSM? Have you seen https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_for_the_blind ? Is something missing there? > I also have to think about whether to go open or closed source bef…
>As an avid OpenStreetMapper I honestly wonder what kind of data is missing in OpenStreetMap. Is that something sighted persons cannot grasp and thus not add to OSM? Have you seen.
Thank you for providing that link — it was helpful. The information I want to display is text-based rather than graphic-based. My plan is to have two systems working in tandem: physical hardware placed in areas of interest like bus stops, intersections, etc., and a user interface that queries this data. The UI will be entirely text-based, with an absolute minimum of graphics.
In the future, if this project succeeds, I aim to launch my own GPS satellite to bypass Google’s predatory API calls.
Yes — but in Phase 1, the map will be text-only to ensure accessibility. What I envision is a sort of Wikipedia for my entire city, where every landmark and point of interest is cataloged and annotated in a rolling fashion, allowing others to edit, expand, and improve. Kind of like Google Reviews — except not owned by an advertising company.
Re: Ask HN: Should I open source or not?
#19No. Do not open source it. Respect yourself and the work you have accomplished. If you have no interest of making a business from your code, you can give away the finished software for free. Then you can postpone the decision if you want to make it a source of income later in the future. There are no benefits at all for you by making the code open source. There are no benefits for users either. The only people who be…
Yes, as I read HN and Reddit, I’m seeing all the big corporations acting like vultures. The problem is, as these corporations monopolize the market—either by buying out or rendering smaller independent companies and developers obsolete—and as most of the brilliant programmers end up working for the same 3–4 tech giants, I’d be forced to either: Allow these vultures to steal my code, lock it behind a paywall, and then…
If you make the code publicly accessible you have no guarantees that people and corporations won't take that code. How about inviting the right people to work with you on the closed source code if they show any interest to help?
Re: Ask HN: Should I open source or not?
#20No. Do not open source it. Respect yourself and the work you have accomplished. If you have no interest of making a business from your code, you can give away the finished software for free. Then you can postpone the decision if you want to make it a source of income later in the future. There are no benefits at all for you by making the code open source. There are no benefits for users either. The only people who be…
Accessibility tools often thrive as open source precisely because they can be adapted to diverse needs, audited for security, and maintained by communities when individual developers move on.
I see software thrive much better when it's sold for a fair price by a solo developer or small shop. Boutique software is great for users and great for the programmers. And if the OP has no monetary interest, he/she could give away the software for free while keeping the source code for themselves.