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Independent Programmers' No-Win Scenario
snydeq writes "Fatal Exception's Neil McAllister writes about the no-win scenario facing today's independent programmers: 'In a knowledge economy, programmers rank among our most valuable workers, yet the current legal and regulatory climate makes a career as an independent software developer virtually a dead-end prospect.' Section 1706 of the 1986 Tax Reform Act, the hurdles and costs of obtaining health care for one's own family, a hostile legal climate in search of accountability for any defects in code — these harsh realities make it 'easy to see why software developers would give up on entrepreneurship. For many, the risks simply don't match the potential rewards. Better to keep their heads down, not rock the boat, and hope they can hang onto their jobs until retirement.' Great news for big software vendors, which will be 'ensured an endless supply of programmers desperate for the safe haven of a steady paycheck, predictable taxation, health benefits, and a shield from civil prosecution when their code turns up buggy. But where will the next Microsoft come from? A field that discourages self-reliance sends the message that the status quo is the highest goal.'"
I'm reminded of the quote I can't find a source for atm: "Apart from Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, the track record of nuclear is really pretty good." While true, those are some pretty big things to just gloss over.
In any case, it's entirely possible to have your own company based around open source--it just changes from a pay-for-development model to a pay-for-support model. Though I suspect if you start out working alone and support is your primary profit driver, your development would probably suffer. Then again, that might be why you'd try to build an OSS community around your product.
Oh well. Something to think about. But yes, as an indy developer, you're pretty much fucked.