This here. FOSS as a dedicated concept exists since around 40 years and we still haven’t figured out how to fund it.
The only meaningful way to fund FOSS is the Linux way: Coprorations use the FOSS in a way where they can’t sell the software directly, instead, the software is used as infrastructure to make money another way.
Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle and so on, they make money by selling cloud compute running Linux. To do so, Linux needs to be really good, so they contribute developer time too the Linux kernel and to certain tools.
The same strategy works for programming frameworks, like Angular, which is being developed by Google, because Google uses it in tons of their products.
But this doesn’t work for end customer software and it’s basically impossible to get a “grassroots” developed piece of FOSS into the corporate mill.
This here. FOSS as a dedicated concept exists since around 40 years and we still haven’t figured out how to fund it.
The only meaningful way to fund FOSS is the Linux way: Coprorations use the FOSS in a way where they can’t sell the software directly, instead, the software is used as infrastructure to make money another way.
Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle and so on, they make money by selling cloud compute running Linux. To do so, Linux needs to be really good, so they contribute developer time too the Linux kernel and to certain tools.
The same strategy works for programming frameworks, like Angular, which is being developed by Google, because Google uses it in tons of their products.
But this doesn’t work for end customer software and it’s basically impossible to get a “grassroots” developed piece of FOSS into the corporate mill.