As Derick has said, OpenSource does in no way mean free. That's a connotation uninformed people consistently derive about Open Source Software. It's insulting that you'll insult a perfectly legitimate, well meaning company without doing your research.<div>
<br><div><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Jan 16, 2010 at 6:26 AM, Derick Centeno <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:dcenteno@ydl.net">dcenteno@ydl.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex;">
<div><div></div><div class="h5">On Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:38:18 -0500<br>
Young-Min Park <<a href="mailto:smpl90s@gmail.com">smpl90s@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
<br>
> Don't call yourselves open source if it's not free. This is an<br>
> outrage to everyone who as ever volunteered their time and expertise<br>
> to open source projects without pay.<br>
><br>
<br>
</div></div>Hi Park:<br>
<br>
Judging from your comment, it appears there is some misunderstanding of<br>
what is offered as a commercial service/product and what is open source.<br>
Briefly, there are multiple definitions of open source around the world<br>
which are explained here:<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.opensource.org/" target="_blank">http://www.opensource.org/</a><br>
<br>
If you can take the time to explore the various licenses and kinds of<br>
open source commitments which many companies adhere to and expect<br>
their users to adhere to as well, you'll observe the very large breadth<br>
or gap of intention and meaning of all these various licenses -- it is<br>
an education to explore as much of them as possible. Although various<br>
companies do offer some of their software products as "open source"<br>
they define the conditions they choose to do so and those conditions<br>
express widely differing definitions, and circumstances regarding when<br>
such a process will be done. The expectations and obligations by those<br>
using their software also differ. Some companies state very clearly<br>
that if the reader doesn't agree to the terms of what the company or<br>
project is offering, then one must not use the software.<br>
<br>
Some of what companies and projects offer is committed to open source<br>
only after a period of time and/or under particular circumstances. PGP<br>
(<a href="http://pgp.com" target="_blank">pgp.com</a>), for instance, makes their contribution in two different<br>
ways. They offer a trial software product for Windows and OS X which<br>
after 30 days provides some, not all the functions, of their commercial<br>
product. In other words, the trial version after 30 days, functions as<br>
"free" software has less functionality of the trial version, but<br>
remains quite useful as free software. They also contribute to the<br>
GnuGP project so that gpg2 can run something called OpenPGP or OpenGP<br>
which allows for public keys created with the trial or free version or<br>
other commercial products of PGP to be understood by gpg2.<br>
<br>
Individuals and companies have the right to determine the terms and<br>
conditions of their employment. This means also that a person (an<br>
individual human or commercial entity) can freely determine when they<br>
will charge for services for their product and/or when they will<br>
contribute to open source or other community based or free effort.<br>
<br>
The obligation for everyone however is to become clearer regarding<br>
which licenses and commercial/non-commercial obligations or<br>
expectations one is agreeing to.<br>
<br>
I prefer an agreement based on a handshake. We are all a long way from<br>
those days, especially as our current transactions of services span<br>
across the planet. What we can do however is to clarify the terms and<br>
means of our relationships to one another which although challenging to<br>
examine and consider -- in the long run can help smooth the means for<br>
cooperation.<br>
<br>
=========<br>
Refranes/Popular sayings:<br>
The Taino say:No hay mal que por bien no venga.<br>
There is no evil out of which good cannot blossom.<br>
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