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I write open source code — some stuff I'm tidying up before I release, since I just whack it on GitHub unusable for the 99% — but don't have much exposure? I have plugins built for Sublime Text which have around 4k downloads. http://github.com/jbrooksuk
It's nice to hear about such success stories. Unfortunately most OSS projects never gain such a user base to be able to make a living off of it. I'm currently evaluating changing the license of our GPL-ed software to use something more restrictive or even dropping OSS and make it freeware only without providing sources. Read these emails if you want to know why: http://www.mail-archive.com/nxlog-ce-users@lists.source…
1) Log a bug against the windows build process, and you'll look at it when it reaches the top of your priority list, or
2) Engage you for paid support to investigate the issue.
You are under no obligation to make your softwear buildable on any platform. If he chooses to disagree,he can refuse your license, delete your software and move on.
It's really an amazing social phenomenon, something unexpected and unique, that seems to go against the grain, or at least usefully counter, the market-driven, proprietary, DRM, locked-in, control-freak sensibility that is so prominent today in mainstream high tech.
It's nice to hear about such success stories. Unfortunately most OSS projects never gain such a user base to be able to make a living off of it. I'm currently evaluating changing the license of our GPL-ed software to use something more restrictive or even dropping OSS and make it freeware only without providing sources. Read these emails if you want to know why: http://www.mail-archive.com/nxlog-ce-users@lists.source…
However, if you do choose to release your software under GPL or LGPL you also
place yourself under an obligation to provide build instructions. This is not
what I say, it is what the GPL/LGPL themselves say.
I contribute to some FOSS projects with hundreds of thousands of downloads and it's healthy from several points of view. On the one hand, I made some great "online" friends and feel great as I write code that I know people will use and appreciate. On the other hand, I've learnt so much and I know that some of the skills I've acquired during these years will help me when I'm old enough to get a job and start "actually…
Of course the project then moved on and my code was replaced.
I liked that, and open source has similarly helped my career over the decades (I write this wearing a FSF tee shirt :-) One warning to the author: he might be more careful about posting his rate for specific customers. I am also contracting at Google and my contract says that remuneration is confidential.
It's nice to hear about such success stories. Unfortunately most OSS projects never gain such a user base to be able to make a living off of it. I'm currently evaluating changing the license of our GPL-ed software to use something more restrictive or even dropping OSS and make it freeware only without providing sources. Read these emails if you want to know why: http://www.mail-archive.com/nxlog-ce-users@lists.source…
My advice would be to setup a paid support arm ASAP, and tell the person complaining they have two options: 1) Log a bug against the windows build process, and you'll look at it when it reaches the top of your priority list, or 2) Engage you for paid support to investigate the issue. You are under no obligation to make your softwear buildable on any platform. If he chooses to disagree,he can refuse your license, dele…
For example some users at a big Taiwanese laptop maker company were after windows2000(!) support. When they were politely offered support saying "please decide whether paid support would be of interest or not", the response was "ok, thank you for your information but when can you fix the bug?". I could give countless other similar examples.
Anyway, thanks for your suggestions. I'll heed the advice and will change the website to make this more clear for those who are only after the free labor.
I write open source code — some stuff I'm tidying up before I release, since I just whack it on GitHub unusable for the 99% — but don't have much exposure? I have plugins built for Sublime Text which have around 4k downloads. http://github.com/jbrooksuk
How do you track your number of downloads on Github?
Open source is one of those rare times when "build it and they will come" holds true. I built a testing gem for stripe, and with zero marketing I've had eight complete strangers come in and make useful contributions through the magic of github. Open source is truly fascinating.
Open source is one of those rare times when "build it and they will come" holds true. I built a testing gem for stripe, and with zero marketing I've had eight complete strangers come in and make useful contributions through the magic of github. Open source is truly fascinating.
Link to your stripe testing gem?