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soweli Niko 🔞

@efraim @calcifer
ah yes because most users totally want to learn c++ to fix the problem they are having with your program which you as a developer released for them to use

12 comments
troethe

@nihilazo No, but then most users then probably shouldn't use your software. Sharing your code could still be helpful for those people who know the language you wrote it in for example.

Ian Turton

@nihilazo @efraim @calcifer there's nothing to stop them paying a competent developer to make the changes that they want. It's nice if it is the main Dev bit it doesn't have to be.

Ian Turton

@strabysme @nihilazo@chitter.xyz @efraim @calcifer if they have no money then they're going to need to learn to program or contribute in some other way.

I talked about this 8 years ago vimeo.com/144089061

calcifer :nes_fire:

@nihilazo @efraim the point is many devs aren’t releasing things “for people to use”. They’re releasing them to share knowledge. Thinking of software only as a product for people to use is exactly the problem I’m describing

Rich Felker

@nihilazo @efraim @calcifer "For them to use" is inaccurate. Unless promoted as such, the default assumption is that the author released it because they don't believe in hoarding and wanted to share their experience solving their problem with others who share a technical skillset to make use of their solution.

DELETED

@dalias @nihilazo @efraim @calcifer a friend used to say: it is open source, so when it breaks, you get to keep both pieces.

That's how I see it as well. The dev doesn't have any responsibility with the users (if any).

Rich Felker

@reidrac @nihilazo @efraim @calcifer In my view, they have *some* responsibility not to promote the program as more polished and suitable for particular uses than it actually is.

But "don't share anything unless you're willing to do free support" is just a horribly destructive position.

DELETED

@dalias @nihilazo @efraim @calcifer totally agree. Strictly speaking, the OSS licences don't cover support. They tend to focus on distribution, but there's always a disclaimer re: responsibility.

I've been using and producing open source since the late 90s and I never assumed the devs had to provide support, and I was always grateful when it happened (even on a mailing list, thanks to other users). The way expectations have changed is very interesting.

Penny

@nihilazo @efraim @calcifer So to be clear- if I write software, and don’t have the time/energy/money to do support- I should just keep that software to myself?

Otto Rask

@nihilazo @efraim @calcifer "for them" is a stretch here. Users are not entitled to anything specific, unless a contract for that something is made.

Simply making code and build steps public with some usage license is not a contract for support of any kind.

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