Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Making Money Using Open Source Software?

Posted by Cliff on from the software-isn't-the-product dept.

GamblerZG asks: "As many of us probably know, convincing people to run Free Software can sometimes be a tedious task. However, there are a lot of factors that help us in that regard, and, perhaps, the biggest of them is a simple truth: Free Software is free. It's hard to argue with such statement. I know it, because I faced it today, trying to convince my fellow co-worker that it is possible to profit by writing GNU-licensed code. 'How company can make money, if its products are available for free?' That was a valid question indeed, and I could not find any simple answers to respond with. That makes me wonder, whether there are articles on the Internet, which explain and analyze how Open Source business models work? Do you know any ways to prove that such models can be profitable?" It can be done, you can check out a recent interview with an Open Source Entrepreneur on NewsForge for some hints. What other ideas and business plans do you think would be a good match for a business with an Open Source core?

4 of 540 comments (clear)

  1. Learn you some grammar! by stupidfoo · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    'How company can make money, if its products are available for free'

    UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

  2. Re:It's possible. by rafael_es_son · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    JESUS H. CHRIST! It's fucking even worse than I thought! It uses the words "Bible" (yes, again, capitalized) and "historical" in the same sentence. Forget what I wrote before, DONT YOU EVER TALK TO ME AGAIN, YOU, YOU, GOD WORSHIPPER!

    --
    HAD
  3. Re:The product is free; support isn't by ClosedSource · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    First of all, where do I get my Armani suit for free? If you're going to make an analogy, it should be based on reality.

    Second, nobody cares about "personal service" with respect to technology products (well, maybe some Apple zealots would pay $10,000 to have Steve Jobs personally adjust their iPod earbuds, but they're a special group).

  4. Re:Here is my question?? by LaCosaNostradamus · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    No, YOU put down your latest copy of Barron's and step away from your Bloomberg, you fucking money junkie. When will you learn that in the final analysis, you can't eat paper or electrons?

    Go and do some real work for a change, tool.

    --
    [You have a stable society when some nut guns down a schoolyard and the law doesn't change.]