Recent GPLed 3.0 news shocked me even further. First the Cygnus practise when hidding codes for its modified GCC (GNU C compiler) that can generate faster application produce by their “proprietary” compiler (it happened years ago when GCC 2.95 around). Then more Linux distros distributed their only “compiled” application with no source! while the GPL requires that any modification should cause the modification to submit to the public. Then the Lindows (now Linspire) saga with Wine developer since their are not paying on every copy of commercial version (support more softwares that opensource version) of Wine on Lindows. Then comes the commercial-only RedHat! (eventough Fedora still available) that costs more than Windows license. then comes subscription models by Sun (100 dollars per employee per year) on every Sun Linux Desktop sold… and now this:
Every company that sales opensource based on SERVICES should pay more money to GPL!
This is insane. First because Linux starts as an opensource model, and it’s perceived as low cost solution (some people even perceived it as a Free software). Eventough some Open Source application can be a Free version one, but not everything are free (even more companies create a commercial company based on their “open source” project).
I know that a company need money to make it grows (and maximizing shareholder value as corporate speak!)… but when it end up just like money sucking models like this, I completely disagree. I thought this Open Source movement is to minimize the high cost of software spending like Microsoft CAL models (read my post: “How Much Our Money Goes to Microsoft”… but if it can goes any direction like thye want to… this could lead to “a fraud like”… first they endorse people to taste a scoop of cream, the next thing you know they’ll send you a full bill of a barrel cream. Yucks!
Even commercial softwares sometimes make more sense to me (if only they charge you with reasonable price). I don’t believe in Microsoft models since CAL is a greedy models. Too bad that Apple is not communicating its Flat-free licensing very well (No Server Tax as Apple called it) to corporate users.
Well.. at the end people need money. But the question is how much money you’ll need to make you satisfied?? My respect is still goes to someone like Theo de Raadt from OpenBSD. A person with true dedication with his job, writing code for a better world, but charging a merely low price for its product is definitely can’t be called a greedy corporation culture. It’s only a way to support his life.
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