Notice of Obsolescence(thebuild.com) |
Notice of Obsolescence(thebuild.com) |
On the licensing point, here's my wildest imagination: what if those permissive licenses had one small condition — companies profiting from the project must contribute a tiny fraction toward social good? No profit, no obligation.
I think this actually matches what most maintainers originally wanted. They go open-source for influence and respect, trying to make the world better, making their work freely usable by anyone, even competitors. Given that, it's quite reasonable to ask those who profit from it to share a tiny fraction back with the world.
Open source projects may die, but the love and spirit behind them doesn't — and a profit-sharing clause like this could make that spirit more explicit and more undeniable.