[Lazarus] Proprietary vs Open Source mentality

[Hans-Peter Diettrich]

Graeme Geldenhuys schrieb:
> I just want to start off by saying I'm glad I use Linux, and I'm glad I 
> got introduced to Open Source software years ago.

First of all, this topic should go into Lazarus-other.

> Anyway, as the subject says, I forgot how close minded some people can 
> be. I also know that Linux/*BSD users are more "open source" with there 
> work (if you can phrase it like that) than Windows or Mac users. Windows 
> and Mac users often still believe in the "shareware" approach. eg:  We 
> will sometimes give things away free of charge, but I will not open 
> source it. So if I get hit by a bus tomorrow, tough sh*t to all of you, 
> my work will be lost forever. What weird mentality.

Apart from licensing issues, which may require to keep the source 
closed, why should somebody ever open up his own source code? Before 
all, everybody has to earn his living. Only then it's possible at all to 
contribute to community projects for free.

GNU software was born when the previously free Unix source code was 
swallowed by a AT&T, and many *developers* needed a new base (OS, tools, 
libraries...) for their own work. These agreed to contribute to 
community projects, for free and by open source code, while retaining 
the right to live from their own programs, built for that environment by 
using the therefore available tools. So it's a free personal decision 
how to make private or company projects available to the public.


> Anyway, I'm glad to be in the open source camp. :-)

...while earning your living otherwise :-]

DoDi