Re: Making money on open source, if not by selling _support_, then how?

[Justin Gombos <rpbkbq.xax.gld@uluv.kbq>]

On 2006-04-11, Marc A. Criley <mcNOSPAM@mckae.com> wrote:
>
>> So, it appears that open source (at least the traditional model) is
>> incompatible with truly great software.
>
> Ehn, okay, maybe with the "traditional model", but that's a very
> narrow support model.

I believe Randy was talking specifically about *profitable* open
source software.  When developing open source for non-profit, you
could not come closer to a model that promotes trully great software.
First of all, there are no conflicts of interest.  You don't need to
sell support, or sell the next bug fix.  You can work proudly on "your
baby" without the profit driven incentives that force you to release
something that's substandard.

Introducing profit is what creates a disincentive to produce trully
great software, regardless of whether it's open or closed source.
Randy may not accept this, but the negative impact on quality is much
more pronounced with closed source because the company producing the
product is necessarily the same organization that sells the support.

With open source, a support organization may have a disincentive to
improve the quality of the product, but other users and organizations
don't have the same disincentive.  Open source decentralizes control
over all these variables, which enables the tools to become trully
great.  Open source support organizations are then forced to offer a
trully great service, because they cannot rely on software
deficiencies the way closed source organizations do.

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