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Open-source infrastructure is not venture-backable

medium.com

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Re: Open-source infrastructure is not venture-backable

#11

Post by toomuchtodo »

Anchor wrote: post #3
dzdt wrote: post #2

Bad headline. Article is about identifying open source infrastructure tools as an overlooked category for venture capital funding.

Maybe if VCs do not see a way to make a decent return on their investments on common infrastructure (as seems to be the case also with physical infrastructure), we should consider funding that work through taxes. The article refers to Mark Suster's comment that "[OSS projects] directly caused tech’s rapid rise". This work benefits many, and we rely on it to exist - and function (Heartbleed), so there are similarities…

> How about a new civil servant job: OSS maintainer.

https://18f.gsa.gov/

EDIT:

> We are transforming government from the inside out, creating cultural change by working with teams inside agencies who want to create great services for the public.

Re: Open-source infrastructure is not venture-backable

#12

Post by [deleted] »

forgottenpass wrote: post #5
Anchor wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe if VCs do not see a way to make a decent return on their investments on common infrastructure (as seems to be the case also with physical infrastructure), we should consider funding that work through taxes. The article refers to Mark Suster's comment that "[OSS projects] directly caused tech’s rapid rise". This work benefits many, and we rely on it to exist - and function (Heartbleed), so there are similarities…

Why should my taxes subsidize the open source toolkits of closed source projects? Unless you're talking about taxing only software startups, I don't want them getting a handout.

[deleted]

Re: Open-source infrastructure is not venture-backable

#13

Post by [deleted] »

cpr wrote: post #4
Anchor wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe if VCs do not see a way to make a decent return on their investments on common infrastructure (as seems to be the case also with physical infrastructure), we should consider funding that work through taxes. The article refers to Mark Suster's comment that "[OSS projects] directly caused tech’s rapid rise". This work benefits many, and we rely on it to exist - and function (Heartbleed), so there are similarities…

Sure, let the efficiency experts at the government find and supply the workers. ;-)

[deleted]

Re: Open-source infrastructure is not venture-backable

#15

Post by striking »

toomuchtodo wrote: post #10
ErikAugust wrote: post #9

"My Free Software Runs Your Company", reads the shirt that Aaron Swartz used to sport: http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1253014/thumbs/o-AARON-SWARTZ-face...

Can this tshirt still be purchased somewhere?

This was a Xen T-shirt around 2013-2014 (http://wiki.xenproject.org/wiki/Xen_Project_Swag#Hall_of_Fam...) but it seems to be missing from the xen.org store unfortunately (http://www.cafepress.com/xen_org)

It seems simple enough, though. Make your own!

Re: Open-source infrastructure is not venture-backable

#17

Post by fweespeech »

dzdt wrote: post #2

Bad headline. Article is about identifying open source infrastructure tools as an overlooked category for venture capital funding.

Yeah.

It also, frankly, isn't really a blindspot so much as a known problem by devs that contribute/heavily use OS. We just don't make the financial decisions.

Re: Open-source infrastructure is not venture-backable

#18

Post by fijal »

gopi wrote: post #14

I think top tech philanthropists like Zuckerberg and Gates should look into this.

As you might have noticed, the problem with this thinking is that you (or I) don't decide what Zuckerberg or Gates spends his money on - they decide. However much you trust them to make their decisions, they're ultimately not responsible to you or anyone else how they do it.

Re: Open-source infrastructure is not venture-backable

#19

Post by [deleted] »

striking wrote: post #15
toomuchtodo wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can this tshirt still be purchased somewhere?

This was a Xen T-shirt around 2013-2014 ( http://wiki.xenproject.org/wiki/Xen_Project_Swag#Hall_of_Fam... ) but it seems to be missing from the xen.org store unfortunately ( http://www.cafepress.com/xen_org ) It seems simple enough, though. Make your own!

[deleted]

Re: Open-source infrastructure is not venture-backable

#20

Post by aidenn0 »

forgottenpass wrote: post #5
Anchor wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe if VCs do not see a way to make a decent return on their investments on common infrastructure (as seems to be the case also with physical infrastructure), we should consider funding that work through taxes. The article refers to Mark Suster's comment that "[OSS projects] directly caused tech’s rapid rise". This work benefits many, and we rely on it to exist - and function (Heartbleed), so there are similarities…

Why should my taxes subsidize the open source toolkits of closed source projects? Unless you're talking about taxing only software startups, I don't want them getting a handout.

Your taxes subsidize the highways used by commercial shipping companies too.
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