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Difference between revisions of "FAQ"
→How can I make money using FOSS ?: add RMS's answer
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Possible answers (one or mix of more, depending on type of audience): | Possible answers (one or mix of more, depending on type of audience): | ||
There are many business models around | There are many business models around free software (we are more interested in free software part of FOSS, whereas OSS part of FOSS has different motivations than us) and before we even start I think there is another thing I want to point out about how you look at software development. Almost all non-trivial software is built using other software, at least a programming language compiler or interpreter and when you talk about free Software, you also get to use a lot of existing free software tools and libraries, so usually it is never your effort alone that gets you a useful software. Also, a lot of free software is built by a lot of people collaborating and not a single person, many of those who build free software are passionate about it and not necessarily motivated by money. Some may be doing other jobs, some software, some teaching, or even we have a practicing medical doctor who contribute to free software in our own group. | ||
Now with that aspect clarified, let's see how some people earn a living from | Now with that aspect clarified, let's see how some people earn a living from free software, I think the oldest model used to be selling CDs when the internet was not very cheap. Then there was providing technical support and training for free Software, this is still a viable model. Companies like Red Hat, Canonical, Novell, JBoss[1] do this. With the profit they make from providing support and training, they also employ people to develop it further | ||
Then there is consulting and customization of | Then there is consulting and customization of free Software. There is also crowdfunding where users directly fund the developers or developers use platforms like Patreon and Liberapay where they receive donations from users. | ||
There are also models like dual licensing and open core, where people are charged for combining a software with proprietary software or pay for extra features. Though, people don't generally like open core model. | There are also models like dual licensing and open core, where people are charged for combining a software with proprietary software or pay for extra features. Though, people don't generally like open core model. | ||
Being a | Being a free software developer doesn't mean you can't charge a customer for our efforts. If there is a demand and if you are building a software to fill it, you can ask money for development. The proprietary business model is based on squeezing maximum profit from a product. I must say, if the focus is on profit, the free software model won't be able to provide as much as the proprietary model but that doesn't mean we won't get enough for our needs. There is always a moral/social contract element involved (intentional or non-intentional) in free software development. | ||
RMS answered this questions in an interview “I want to ask you why that question is worth asking. First there are many people who don't have to make money. Importantly even if a person has to make a living, he doesn't have to make a living from everything he does. Lots of people develop free software in their free time and there are people who have to make a living, and they do make a living. To jump from, this person is not rich and therefore has to work, to, this person can't write free software because he is not paid to write it, is an error. There are over a million contributors to free software, a substantial fraction is getting paid and a majority are volunteers. I suspect the reason people bring up this question of economics as a secondary detail is because they are laboring under the misconception that the free software community is impossible, unless the developers are getting paid.” | |||
==How do I start contributing to FOSS?== | ==How do I start contributing to FOSS?== | ||