Ask HN: To go open source or not? I can't make up my mind

#1

Post by kiriappeee » Mon, Nov 29, 2010, 1:27 AM UTC

I'm currently working on my Final Year Project for my university degree. Submission is in 14 days and after that I'm done with my degree. When I spoke to my lecturer about future improvements and open sourcing the project he asked me if I was mad and said that I could make big bucks if I went about improving it by myself with funding from investors.

This confuses me. I asked a few more people and they said things along the same lines as well. Don't go open source. I confronted my lecturer and asked him why not?. All he said was, look at Google. All they talk about is being open right? But look at where they make money. Have they open sourced their search engine? Have they truly open sourced Android (even if the OS isn't a true source of income for them). Android still runs in closed development cycles. We get only the final releases.

But things is after all of that, I still have this urge to go open source. But I don't know what's in it for me anymore. Apart from the experience of course. But what about making my living? What's the real appeal of Open source? I'm confused.

Help me out here please.

Re: Ask HN: To go open source or not? I can't make up my mind

#2

Post by daleharvey » Mon, Nov 29, 2010, 1:34 AM UTC

Professors of computer science arent always the best people to take business advice from.

First question to ask is do you want to make a business from your project? if so, then you really need to worry about IP rights, which are commonly given to the university if I am not mistaken.

Assuming you do want to make a business and IP issues can be worked around, then you can begin to question whether open source is best or not. Without knowing more about the project its impossible to give any suggestion either way, all I can say is being open source does not mean you cannot build a business by any means, a lot of people conflate open source = no money but that is not at all true.

Re: Ask HN: To go open source or not? I can't make up my mind

#3

Post by kiriappeee » Mon, Nov 29, 2010, 1:50 AM UTC

daleharvey wrote: post #2

Professors of computer science arent always the best people to take business advice from. First question to ask is do you want to make a business from your project? if so, then you really need to worry about IP rights, which are commonly given to the university if I am not mistaken. Assuming you do want to make a business and IP issues can be worked around, then you can begin to question whether open source is best o…

As far as IP rights go a lot of the project will be what I do after I leave university. But I've already spoken to heads and have worked around that issue. In fact they'd be my first investors, but advised against open source. So IP is workable.

As for what the project is it's pretty hush hush right now before I decide anything but to give an idea of size it would include AI and an NLP engine built into it. It's got a lot of business potential as well. If that would help with an idea of where I should go?

And again. Question is. How do open source teams actually make money out of projects like this?

Re: Ask HN: To go open source or not? I can't make up my mind

#4

Post by mrpixel » Mon, Nov 29, 2010, 1:54 AM UTC

Hmm... I suggest you keep it closed and try to make some money out of it (don't look at me like that, Mr. Stallman) and if doesn't work out just make it open - and should it become sort of a success make some green with it indirectly (e.g. get nicer jobs).

What is it anyway?

Re: Ask HN: To go open source or not? I can't make up my mind

#5

Post by smoody » Mon, Nov 29, 2010, 2:04 AM UTC

kiriappeee wrote: post #3

daleharvey wrote: post #2

Professors of computer science arent always the best people to take business advice from. First question to ask is do you want to make a business from your project? if so, then you really need to worry about IP rights, which are commonly given to the university if I am not mistaken. Assuming you do want to make a business and IP issues can be worked around, then you can begin to question whether open source is best o…

As far as IP rights go a lot of the project will be what I do after I leave university. But I've already spoken to heads and have worked around that issue. In fact they'd be my first investors, but advised against open source. So IP is workable. As for what the project is it's pretty hush hush right now before I decide anything but to give an idea of size it would include AI and an NLP engine built into it. It's got…

technical support packages sold to enterprise customers.

Re: Ask HN: To go open source or not? I can't make up my mind

#6

Post by kiriappeee » Mon, Nov 29, 2010, 2:06 AM UTC

mrpixel wrote: post #4

Hmm... I suggest you keep it closed and try to make some money out of it (don't look at me like that, Mr. Stallman) and if doesn't work out just make it open - and should it become sort of a success make some green with it indirectly (e.g. get nicer jobs). What is it anyway?

I can't say just yet what it is just yet. Not until I've made the first release. Yes. I'm paranoid after hearing the stuff that can happen :P. I sort of put this question up looking for some therapy as well :)

Re: Ask HN: To go open source or not? I can't make up my mind

#7

Post by Mithrandir » Mon, Nov 29, 2010, 2:16 AM UTC

My personal opinion is to "open-source" (or, more technically correct, free) it.

If I say anymore, I'll get DNed. :)

Re: Ask HN: To go open source or not? I can't make up my mind

#8

Post by kingsidharth » Mon, Nov 29, 2010, 2:21 AM UTC

If you want to go Open Source, go by all means. You can still make money by selling enterprise solutions to big names out there.

Think about it this way, if this project of yours becomes a big name, then you will be a respectable figure. And then it will be easier for you to raise funding or whatever for any of your project.

But you won't need that really, open source can support the founders - it almost always does.

Re: Ask HN: To go open source or not? I can't make up my mind

#9

Post by kiriappeee » Mon, Nov 29, 2010, 3:08 AM UTC

kingsidharth wrote: post #8

If you want to go Open Source, go by all means. You can still make money by selling enterprise solutions to big names out there. Think about it this way, if this project of yours becomes a big name, then you will be a respectable figure. And then it will be easier for you to raise funding or whatever for any of your project. But you won't need that really, open source can support the founders - it almost always does.

ok. any advice on licenses? i don't want some big company coming and taking my source and putting it into their product even if they do credit me.

Re: Ask HN: To go open source or not? I can't make up my mind

#10

Post by tgflynn » Mon, Nov 29, 2010, 4:17 AM UTC

kiriappeee wrote: post #9

kingsidharth wrote: post #8

If you want to go Open Source, go by all means. You can still make money by selling enterprise solutions to big names out there. Think about it this way, if this project of yours becomes a big name, then you will be a respectable figure. And then it will be easier for you to raise funding or whatever for any of your project. But you won't need that really, open source can support the founders - it almost always does.

ok. any advice on licenses? i don't want some big company coming and taking my source and putting it into their product even if they do credit me.

In theory using the GPL should prevent that. It might be difficult to enforce though if the code is something that could be used internally or otherwise effectively hidden.