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Stardew Valley developer made a $125k donation to the FOSS C# framework MonoGame

monogame.net

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Re: Stardew Valley developer made a $125k donation to the FOSS C# framework MonoGame

#191

Post by lovich »

sneak wrote: post #172
Sajarin wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this comes off a bit too strong (as well as the replies to this to be fair) The example isn't quite accurate. If a friend bought you lunch, the social norm of reciprocity would incline you towards buying them lunch in the future (i.e part of your paycheck) Free open source software is a public good. While there is no obligation to give back, giving back helps that public good become more useful to other peopl…

In the lunch example, reciprocation would be releasing additional software under free software licenses, not payments. There should be zero social pressure, as gifts do not convey obligation. It was the software author’s explicit choice when licensing and publishing the software to make clear that payment is not expected.

Do you routinely struggle in social situations? Do you frequently have people tell you that you misinterpreted social cues?

You are correct that no legal obligation was passed, but generally people feel that if you got something from a community that helped you succeed greatly you do have an obligation to throw something back to the organization to help it help others.

If you don't, that'ss generally classified by people as being a jackass

Re: Stardew Valley developer made a $125k donation to the FOSS C# framework MonoGame

#192

Post by skibidithink »

squigz wrote: post #126
mjg2 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. I think ConcernedApe is actually genuine with his charity and we should see this as a standard for corporations to follow.

I'm confused. What exactly makes his charity genuine vs Epic's charity "disingenuous"?

Indie good, big company bad

Re: Stardew Valley developer made a $125k donation to the FOSS C# framework MonoGame

#193

Post by skibidithink »

MildlySerious wrote: post #151
sneak wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Gifts do not confer obligation. Copying deprives the original party of nothing. Absolutely nothing about free software requires or even implies any responsibility to “give back”. This idea that anyone making money with free software somehow owes the original authors anything (or “should” donate a portion of their profits) is ridiculous. If the authors wanted money for their software, they would have sold it instead o…

There really is no prize for being technically correct on this one. Someone built this and is letting you have it. For free. There is no legal obligation or law of the universe here, sure, but if you're in the top 1% of benefactors of this pro bono work, you have the opportunity to do some good and make sure that others, like you, get the chance to benefit from this free work in the future. There is a pretty straight…

If every gift one gives out comes with a moral obligation, it'd be pretty selfish to give gifts.

Re: Stardew Valley developer made a $125k donation to the FOSS C# framework MonoGame

#194

Post by skibidithink »

benoau wrote: post #129
margalabargala wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The service Steam provides to game developers is substantial.

Not really, what they actually do for most games is basically what Google and Apple do: a token review, then nothing apart from some niceties for players. Then they pocket an immense profit, it came out in one of Epic's cases that Valve net $50 million/year profit per employee . The only thing for developers they still do better than Google and Apple really is a few promotions throughout the year that target specific…

What Steam brings is a firehose of gamers with their credit cards ready to all the games they think will be successful.

There's a reason why everyone launches on Steam.

Re: Stardew Valley developer made a $125k donation to the FOSS C# framework MonoGame

#195

Post by allyouseed »

sneak wrote: post #174
kwanbix wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is the moral thing to do.

I disagree. The moral thing to do would be to respect the stated wishes of the author of the software, who made clear when they published it that no payments of any kind are expected. If I gave you a gift and you tried to give me money, I would be offended. I’m not saying free software publishers wouldn’t accept donations - just that publishing free software is giving a gift to the world, and there is NO moral obliga…

How is this the bridge you're hiding under?

You are simultaneously arguing for 'moral' subjectivity while utilizing the strawman of 'moral obligation'. Who would enforce this 'obliging' if the subject of morality is still up for debate?

You are tying yourself in embarrassing knots over someone spreading their wealth, unsolicited, to people who helped them achieve it? Why? What's the end goal?

Go argue with someone about the morality of environmental impacts of tech... or something...

Re: Stardew Valley developer made a $125k donation to the FOSS C# framework MonoGame

#196

Post by [deleted] »

mips_avatar wrote: post #122

As someone who has been solo developing an app for months concerned ape is such an inspiration. He literally spent 5 years on stardew valley with zero income. It's such a beautiful game and reminds me what you can do when you follow what feels right.

[deleted]

Re: Stardew Valley developer made a $125k donation to the FOSS C# framework MonoGame

#198

Post by 999900000999 »

Nothing wrong with a self interested donation.

He donates, the engine remains a high quality tool, he doesn't have to write the whole stack himself.

Theirs a Flat Red Ball fork that can even build C# to Web. Hopefully these solutions can be shared with Godot so theit C# web export works.

Re: Stardew Valley developer made a $125k donation to the FOSS C# framework MonoGame

#199

Post by mjg2 »

squigz wrote: post #126
mjg2 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. I think ConcernedApe is actually genuine with his charity and we should see this as a standard for corporations to follow.

I'm confused. What exactly makes his charity genuine vs Epic's charity "disingenuous"?

Ostensibly what u/skibidithink replied. We should have a healthy distrust of international corporations giving for unapparent reasons beyond being in the same sector. We can gesture about how a gift has no obligations, but no one gets into business to not make money, and true charity is without obligation.

ConcernedApe donated to give back to the foundation he came from, while Epic is out for global domination in the virtual entertainment sector.

Re: Stardew Valley developer made a $125k donation to the FOSS C# framework MonoGame

#200

Post by munchbunny »

vasco wrote: post #41
rvnx wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Beyond love, what you prefer ? Pay 100K USD, or put at risk your 500M USD project ? Edit: if the engine is not maintained, there can be compatibility issues, it can go abandoned and lack new features, etc. It's the technical pillar of the product, like Unity.

Is it so hard to accept someone else might give away money for a charitable reason rather than because of fear?

Or it could be both. Time will tell.

ConcernedApe's next game is also built on MonoGame, so he has self-interested reasons to want MonoGame to continue to be maintained. But just because ConcernedApe has self-interested reasons to donate doesn't necessarily mean that it doesn't also come from a charitable place.

MonoGame is basically getting a sponsor. The ecosystem benefits. I'm personally happy to leave it there rather than asking for moral purity.

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