Ask HN: free software but not free coffee

1 points by rajanikanthr 12 years ago | 3 comments

There is nothing wrong in free software (everyone loves it).. but how can most people expect free software while they pay 3$+ for a single coffee. people are OK to pay for a physical thing, but not software. I ask for extra pay for hours if I worked overtime/weekends, so I am not expecting my company to sell the software for free unless they have a significant income through ads like google or android free games with ads. I am asking this because , I never understood the concept of (freedom in linux/I hate windows) and at the same time no one complains spending 1.5-2k on a Macbook

serf 12 years ago |

Free as in freedom, not free as in beer.

What I mean by saying that is this--the software is sometimes free(as in cost to purchase) when it is FOSS, but it is not required to be. Some companies charge for their implementations of FOSS, some make money via consulting, some use other schemes or none at all(free as in beer, as well).

The only requirements for software to be free (as in freedom) are that the source is open and available, and it is allowed to be modified.

mattkrea 12 years ago |

Part of the problem for me has always been the absurd pricing schemes.

When I buy a Macbook I'm paying for the labor, yes, but also the resources used in its construction.

For software, especially in the enterprise, it was usually write-once with a high selling cost AND a support contract for patches.

To me, that is absolutely ridiculous which is why I will tend to go toward a SaaS which I know will be updated as it grows.

lazylizard 12 years ago |

its fairly amusing sometimes to think about what exactly firms like redhat, canonical, digium, etc are actually selling..