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motulist

macrumors 601
Dec 2, 2003
4,234
611
ArtOfWarfare, how old are you? (not asking as an insult, it's a real question) The idea you're talking about sounds like something I might've thought of in my younger days.

This idea, while nice, will never happen because anyone willing to do it is already doing it. Any software developer who's willing to give away their software for free to anyone who needs it while also expecting people to pay for it if they can, they're already doing what you're talking about. It's called shareware or freeware (or more specifically, donationware). The idea behind these wares is exactly what you're talking about. If you need it but can't afford it, you're free to use it whenever you want, but if you can afford it then you are supposed to pay for it. If you need it but can't afford it you don't even need to wait for a special 'free software day.'
 

RedTomato

macrumors 601
Mar 4, 2005
4,155
442
.. London ..
Last time I checked, free software couldn't feed a family...

Yes, IBM and Sun and Linus and Red Hat and many others are all running on thin air and checking down the back of the sofa for pennies. Apple's also (in part) standing on the corner asking for spare change.

Not.
 

Evangelion

macrumors 68040
Jan 10, 2005
3,374
147
Last time I checked, free software couldn't feed a family...

I would say that Linus Torvalds, Andrew Morton, Alan Cox and whole lots of developers at companies like Red Hat would disagree with that comment. There are LOTS of people who get their living from free software, either directly or indirectly.
 

ihabime

macrumors 6502
Jan 12, 2005
480
0
I would say that Linus Torvalds, Andrew Morton, Alan Cox and whole lots of developers at companies like Red Hat would disagree with that comment. There are LOTS of people who get their living from free software, either directly or indirectly.

Yes but it doesn't work as well when you mix and match. IBM, Sun, redhat make their money from hardware or support. I'm not saying that OSS isn't a valid business idea, but if you give your software away one day a year you'd find that it hard to sell the rest of the time.
 

Evangelion

macrumors 68040
Jan 10, 2005
3,374
147
Yes but it doesn't work as well when you mix and match. IBM, Sun, redhat make their money from hardware or support. I'm not saying that OSS isn't a valid business idea, but if you give your software away one day a year you'd find that it hard to sell the rest of the time.

And quite a few people seem to be able to make their living without selling any software. And fact is that all software Red Hat releases is free software. Yes, they charge for support, but fact remains that they are earning money with free software.

Giving software away for free is perfectly OK thing to do. I mean, you can create software for free (more or less). you can distribute that software for free. You can create additional copies of that software for free.

Yes, giving software away for one day a year is dumb. Either you share it with others all the time, or you don't.
 

Evangelion

macrumors 68040
Jan 10, 2005
3,374
147
Supply and demand just happens to other people. :rolleyes:

I'm not so sure that does supply and demand have any validity when talking about things like software. Like I said, you can create thousands of copies of software with minimium of effort and expense. Same goes with distribution. There can't really be shortage of software, since it can be infinitely replicated at will. You can have shortage of physical items, since we don't have matter-replicators yet. But since software is just a bunch of bits that can be multiplied at will, there can't really be any shortages. Any such shortages are artificially created.

Same applies to mp3-files and such.
 

ihabime

macrumors 6502
Jan 12, 2005
480
0
And quite a few people seem to be able to make their living without selling any software. And fact is that all software Red Hat releases is free software. Yes, they charge for support, but fact remains that they are earning money with free software.

Giving software away for free is perfectly OK thing to do. I mean, you can create software for free (more or less). you can distribute that software for free. You can create additional copies of that software for free.

Yes, giving software away for one day a year is dumb. Either you share it with others all the time, or you don't.

I'm confused, are you arguing with me or agreeing, because i think that's what i just said :)
 

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908
I would say that Linus Torvalds, Andrew Morton, Alan Cox and whole lots of developers at companies like Red Hat would disagree with that comment. There are LOTS of people who get their living from free software, either directly or indirectly.

So how do I go about getting money from nothing, since if I made my upcoming software free I'd basically have no money.
 

MrSmith

macrumors 68040
Nov 27, 2003
3,046
14
I'm not so sure that does supply and demand have any validity when talking about things like software. Like I said, you can create thousands of copies of software with minimium of effort and expense. Same goes with distribution. There can't really be shortage of software, since it can be infinitely replicated at will. You can have shortage of physical items, since we don't have matter-replicators yet. But since software is just a bunch of bits that can be multiplied at will, there can't really be any shortages. Any such shortages are artificially created.

Same applies to mp3-files and such.
You don't want to go down that route...
 

gikku

macrumors regular
Dec 29, 2006
239
45
-33.82,151.26
How about Freetard Day where for a day we only use software that is distributed freely, free to d/l OS, free d/l apps? :rolleyes:
 

Evangelion

macrumors 68040
Jan 10, 2005
3,374
147
So how do I go about getting money from nothing, since if I made my upcoming software free I'd basically have no money.

Well, in case of Linux, many developers are paid to work on the code, because there are lots of users who need/want the software. Those users benefit from Linux, and it's in their interest to see Linux get better. So they pay the coders who in turn write free software.

The idea that selling your ones and zeroes is the only way to make money is pretty weird. Free software is a multi-billion dollar industry, so there are LOTS of parties making money from free software. Red Hat releases only free software and they had revenue of 523 million, while earning 76 million in profit.
 

ArtOfWarfare

macrumors G3
Original poster
Nov 26, 2007
9,545
6,042
How about Freetard Day where for a day we only use software that is distributed freely, free to d/l OS, free d/l apps? :rolleyes:

lol

The day when everyone boycotts companies that demand money for their software.
 

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908
Now we're onto boycotting companies who charge for their software!

Come on OP, just how old are you?
 

Antares

macrumors 68000
So how do I go about getting money from nothing, since if I made my upcoming software free I'd basically have no money.

Jimmi, you, yourself, say that your location is "In the land of make believe." I'm sure you have money trees by you. I don't see what the problem is.... :confused:

Money no longer exists on Earth in the Star Trek universe. Everything is free. Why can't we make our Earth work like the Star Trek Earth? Hmm....
 

MrSmith

macrumors 68040
Nov 27, 2003
3,046
14
Quite a few people have already "gone down that route", and they seem to be doing just fine.
The point I was making (obliquely) is you don't want to suggest copyright infringement. Calling the pricing of software artificial and concluding we should just copy it would seem to imply that.
 

iJohnHenry

macrumors P6
Mar 22, 2008
16,530
30
On tenterhooks
Money is just the olde-fashioned PayPal, whereby we exchange our menial (or otherwise) labour for purchasing power.

AND, unlike the barter system, it allows the Tax Man to get his graft.
 

maestro55

macrumors 68030
Nov 13, 2005
2,708
0
Goat Farm in Meridian, TX
I love open source software and have ran various flavors of Linux over the years. I even use open source software on my Mac. However, I am going to say that the OP's idea is insane. First off I hate the term "Freetard" but that isn't really relevant. The fact that the poster is implying that everyone give their software free on one day a year is very silly. If you want to use free software than go and find open source applications that fit your needs, don't expect the developers (certainly the independent developers) to give you their software for free.
 
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