this post was submitted on 16 Nov 2025
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Imagine having to pay for each library your computer uses. We'd just as soon stop using computers than do that.
Imagine paying for Windows
I used an Open Source library for work.
I asked my company to consider donating to them.
Nothing...
They'd rather pay for MS Teams even when it doesn't work reliably.
I offered to help with setting up a WebRTC server.
Nothing...
The only ones actually caring about donating to FOSS projects are a few of the developers, that realise the effort that goes into it and also have enough money to spare.
I wonder if a dual-licensed non-commercial + paid commercial approach could work, but from my experience with FOSS developers, they tend to view non-commercial licenses as sacrilege...
Well yeah, that's not really FOSS, right?
In their eyes, probably not... but you can't have it both ways. Either you let companies take advantage of you, or you don't...
From what I see, there's not much that can be done over here.
You either use GPL Licensing and then look for other ways to get money (because only FOSS people will pay you when they don't have to and there aren't many of them, as compared to the population) or you use a non-FOSS license and eventually get bought by a corporate entity to get money, then get your project enshittified.
Of course, you can say that you won't do that, but after how many of them have gone back on similar claims, it can be hard to get others to trust you.
Also, if (when) your project starts getting in the way of large corporations and their money and they realise you don't sellout, you can expect them to start coming after your livelihood. And how many people do you think, would play chicken with them?