Re: TuxRacer goes closed source

[Steve Baker <sjbaker1@airmail.net>]

Mads Bondo Dydensborg wrote:

> I would definitly prefer to be an open source programmer for always. But,
> I would like to code games for a living at one time. And, I think, that
> e.g. the way id software does it is great; closed source, until the
> technology has no market value.
> 
> [Above paragraph is actually the main reason I respond to your letter - is
> the exchange of help, on e.g. this mailing list, using a BSD or GPL kind
> of license?]

No - of course not. But - I reserve the right to be very disappointed
and upset if my advice is sought for one purpose when in fact it's
for some other reason.

My disappointment doesn't quite have the weight of copyright law.

   :-)
 
> > I don't know how the people at SunSpire can live with themselves.
> 
> Would you remain open for the possibility, that they had no actual
> cashflow, and needed a wellknown businessmodel to maintain their company?

This wasn't a matter of SunSpire writing the game 'for free' and then
taking it commercial in order to survive as a company.  The game was
written first by individual amateurs - and THEN SunSpire either recruited
the key developers - or the developers banded together to form the company...
I forget which.

They are talented people - they should simply have started writing a
new game for their commercial efforts - they could still have capitalised
on their reputation as principle architects and implementors of TuxRacer.

Heck - I'd probably have bought whatever they wrote.

I have NO PROBLEM with people writing and selling commercial software
for Linux - I do so myself - but when I do so, I use only my own work

However, taking something that a lot of OTHER people contributed to
(on the basis of it being an OpenSourced project) and then once it's
an established success, changing the license to turn it into a commercial
product seems unethical to me.  Legal - perhaps, Ethical - no.

----------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------------
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