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Making Money Using Open Source Software?
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?
In the vast majority of cases, it's not an issue. Making money is for the capitalist swine that make America what it is -- a land of bought politicians and an underfunded defense force that use scrap metal for armor.
If you want to make money, go to Russia and make an allofmp3.com.
If you want to make money selling software, good luck.
If you want to make money giving away software -- and its source -- check yourself into a clinic; you need help!
like Samba, Bittorrent, or Open Office and wait for a $100K/year job. What if your app is not even 1/10th as popular? You won't make a dime. It's scary that 30% of all internet traffic is bittorrent and all its author can make is 100K/yr.
Yes, but in defense of the BlueCurve.... IT SUCKS!
OOOOH, the internet.
What don't some of you free software lovers come mow my yard for free. It's an open yard. One can mow the front, one can mow the back.
Doing anything for free is simply retarded.