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How Can Companies Profit While Giving Code Away?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the make-it-up-on-volume dept.

An anonymous reader writes "In an almost philosophical essay replete with references to everyone from Larry Lessig and Tim Bray to to Professor Yochai Benkler, Sun Micrososystems evangelist Simon Phipps explores the metaphor of subscription (well, of course it's not just a metaphor any more from Sun's point of view) as the way that companies will make money off of deploying open source solutions. His distinction between OS developer and OS deployer is useful, but the crux is his contention that, with a "system" such as Sun has put together like the JDS, 'You don't buy the software from Sun - instead you subscribe to the editorial outlook.' It's an alluring analogy - Sun as the editor-in-chief of a 'publication' (JDS) with readers who may or may not choose to subscribe. Worth reading."

5 of 240 comments (clear)

  1. Here at the International Change Bank ... by craenor · · Score: 4, Funny

    People ask how we make a profit, I'll tell you...

    Volume

  2. they'll make money by Moonlapse · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just use the argument for mp3's. When Sun goes on its 'tour', 'arenas' will sellout to see 'live' code

    --
    - I got my free iPod and a free Nintendo DS....why not
  3. Re:Um, okay Sun... by Throtex · · Score: 4, Funny

    You might be on to something... // This block of source code was brought to // you by McDonalds! Try our new extra value // meals at just 1 dollar apiece! // // McDonalds... I'm lovin' it!

  4. Simple! by ivarneli · · Score: 4, Funny

    Simple, just follow step number 2:

    ???

    After that, profit is inevitable!

  5. Re:But magazines don't stop working... by dave420 · · Score: 5, Funny
    The magazines do stop working. My stack of PC World mags from 1993 aren't as up-to-date as a similar publication I could buy today. Magazines are one big time-bomb, because they can never be updated, only replaced.

    Shit, but ask me about 386 notebooks, and I'm all yours.