On 5/30/07, Tim Cowlishaw <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: <SNIP>
For instance, how much of the profit generated by companies such as IBM and Red Hat from Free Software products (both often trumpteded as massive commercial successes of Free Software) finds it's way back to the community of developers who made the software?
IBM/Red Hat/Other reputable free software companies make money by providing services around free software to customers. They then employ people to work full time on the major projects (the Linux Kernel, GNOME etc). They also participate (spreading their employee's expertise) in other ways such as conferences. Money direct to the community would include things like donations to ODSL, iBiblio. This in turn gains them improved software, huge community good will, and more expertise they can use to solve their customer's problems and leads to a cycle. How this would work in a free culture context is another matter? Direct copying of the above paragraph: "YouTube"esque company makes money by selling advertising which is then presented around the content. They then employ people to work full time on free culture works (under CC licenses for example). They participate by sponsoring shows or awards (rather than technical conferences). They could donate money to community organisations like...? This would lead to more people visiting the site and seeing the ads etc. etc. There are several key differences: 1) Where money comes from - Customers vs advertisers 2) Purpose of the product - Productivity vs enjoyment 3) Development of the work - software can get new functionality from downstream vs a book is a lot more fixed (on the other hand, offering a world where short stories/books etc can play out enables a world to be created which can be more dynamic if defined as say an encyclopedia of facts about the world - a service managing that would most accurately allow free culture to mirror free software development IMO) - The individual work in the Cathedral, but the universe can be the bazarr. Does that make any sense? These are just top-of-the-head lunchtime thoughts so forgive the sketchiness. Alex x x -- Website: http://www.penwing.me.uk Jabber: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (go look at http://www.jabber.org) ICQ: 92075277 (if you must) Linux User: 360012 6Music Addict - http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music _______________________________________________ fc-uk-discuss mailing list fc-uk-discuss@lists.okfn.org http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/fc-uk-discuss
