So SUSE *owes* you software? Just because you CAN get it for free
doesn't mean that you should.
The backbone of Open Source is that community members contribute, help
fix flaws & security issues, as well as even write entire packages.
Some work is done by commercial companies, but most is done by people at
no charge.
Commercial companies like SUSE (Novell) actually put money into the
projects, by hiring people, providing hardware, bandwidth, etc. They
pay for the cost of the CDs, DVDs, boxes, manuals, and all sorts of
other things.
This is one of the worst attitudes I've seen. We need to, as a
community, support OSS in as many ways as we can.
Personally, I've spent more on Open Source software than on everything
else combined. Some people don't have a lot of money, they do things
like install Open Source software onto machines for other people and
introduce their friends and family to it. Some of these people become
fans and Open Source proliferates.
Attitudes like the below are just absolutely wrong in my opinion.
That's just leaching. I know that he's a newbie (he asked a question
about that earlier), but it's important to keep the record straight.
The reasons to buy the software include supporting SUSE so that they can
stay in business - and that ought to be enough.
If you use Open Source software, support it. It's one thing to try out
an evaluation edition, or to try out a full-featured release just to see
if you like it. Nothing wrong with that - and if you don't continue to
use it, it's okay not to pay for it. But if it's something you use all
the time, have some honor and decency and support the company or
companies that produce the software.
That's why.
RP
Richard J. A. wrote:
Why even buy it if you can get it as an eval version
Richard
