[ Thanks to Matt Williams for
this link. ]
“Is it ethical to profit from free software? I’ve heard this
question many times. When I try to explain to people what Linux is,
they always ask, “If it’s free, why is it for sale in stores?” This
is always very hard to explain.”
“Is it ethical to sell free software? I would have to say yes.
The movement will always be alive. No matter how many Linux
programs are sold, there will always be software just as good for
free. In the world today, everyone is out to make a buck. Our
ethics are based on that principal. Make money or get left behind.
I’m only sixteen years old, and I’ve been faced with that many
times. I’ve been trying to “get rich” for four years now. After
maturing a bit, I’ve realized that money isn’t everything. That
doesn’t mean I won’t continue to strive for it. I’d be kidding
myself if I said I wasn’t. I want a car soon and I’m going to try
and make money in order to get it.”
“Striving to make money has become acceptable, unless its
taken to the extreme as a certain OS maker has. As long as no one
tries to remove the free part of the Open Source altogether,
selling free software is okay. Just remember. You got started for a
reason. That reason was to provide people with quality,
reliable, and free software. Make sure that the price you decide on
is what the people deserve.”
Web Webster has more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience in the tech sector. He’s written and edited news, demand generation, user-focused, and thought leadership content for business software solutions, consumer tech, and Linux Today, he edits and writes for a portfolio of tech industry news and analysis websites including webopedia.com, and DatabaseJournal.com.
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