Hello,
Mathew Gray wrote:
> Write
> popular open-source freeware software, add said item to your portfolio,
> Company-X hires you for six figures.
You don't know how much I wish that were true. :-)
> Victory to the programmer. Write
> popular open gaming product and sell it, content is all the sudden grabbed
> by 3 other people, who all release further products . . . victory nobody . .
> . market doesn't support 4 people releasing content based upon original good
> idea . . . ideas conflict . . . consumers get fed up and buy content from
> someone else. (NOWHERE in here does anyone get hired for 6 figures.)
Not to be rude, but 99% of the time the same exact thing happens with open
software. Victory is what you make of it, and if you are using a money scale,
then expect 'victory nobody' for the people that write open software as well.
> In addition, when Martin notes a product which could totally be viable (an
> adventure book) he gets nothing but a response which summed up is:
> "capitalism is wrong, this person is an unimaginitive leech" . . .
Well, I think someone (whoever said unimaginative with leech) is reading a bit
much into the leech definition. A leech is a person that takes what the
community gave for free and then uses it without adding any free stuff to the
collective works of the community. So technically Martin's example *is* being a
leech. However, I wouldn't add the unimaginative part to it.
Also, I don't think anyone is saying that capitalism is wrong. I think they are
saying that taking from the community without adding anything to it is wrong.
> after ALL THAT, I'm a leech if I don't open up my
> product?
No, only if you use material from the community without having the common
courtesy of adding a little to the "open" works of the community. After all, it
is the "open" content of the community that you are basing your work on. Just
like you don't want people to use your ideas and sell them when you have not
opened them. Those that have given to the open community don't want you using
there stuff and making money without you contributing back to the community your
work is based on.
> I spend 2.5 MONTHS of regular 40 hour weeks on this product (the 8 adventure
> book we've discussed, of course) and you tell me that I'm a leech and that I
> should be ashamed because I want to have closed content, thus protecting my
> blood, sweat, and tears? No. Not on your life. Period.
<Shrug> By the definition of leech, it doesn't matter how much time you put into
it.
If you use open content, basing your work on the kindness of others, and then
don't add to the community, then yes, by the definition of leech, you are a
leech.
> This is not GNU. This is not Linux. This is d20 (or OGL) and it's NOT the
> same.
I've always wondered about this statement. How are the two not the same? Besides
the obvious that with the OGL you can keep some of your work closed.
Both are trying to make a community. Both communities exist and grow only so
long as people contribute open material to it. If people stand on the work of
the community without contributing to the community, then it is only the
community that gets hurt. Pretty soon you won't have anything to stand on as the
community will no longer exist. It will have been "leeched" to death.
Also, don't use blood and sweat as an excuse. You don't work on anything 40 hs a
week for 2 and half months without becoming attached to it. Giving away software
is no easier than giving away game material. In fact I can guarantee you that
you have not had near the heart nor soul put into anything you have done for the
OGL as the people have for linux. Example: GIMP has been in development since
the beginning of linux, and they gave it all away for free.
So please don't degrade the effort and soul that people have put into the Open
Source movement. I almost had sympathy for you until you tried doing that.
Have Fun,
Darren
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