Why do people make software for free?

When I first tell people about open source software, one of the most common questions I get is this:
"I just don't understand why people would create software if they don't get paid for it! How does that work?"
This question makes sense, because we all know that people need to make money to provide for their families. And every good capitalist knows that the profit incentive is what drives people to create and innovate. This is true for many industries, but it does not explain why open source software is created. Here is how I answer this question:

The birth of an open source project

Most open source software projects were created by a programmer who needed a piece of software to accomplish a certain task. Rather than purchasing a commercial software product (assuming that one existed), this programmer decided to create the software from scratch. This programmer might have been paid by their employer to create the software, or the work might have been done on personal time. Instead of hording the newly created software, the programmer decided to share it with the world by publishing it under an open source license.

The birth of an open source community

This is where the open source story gets interesting. It is likely that somewhere else in the world, a second programmer has a need for some software that provides the same functionality. Rather than starting from scratch, this second programmer discovers the open source project that was recently created. This second programmer uses the source code to add new features and fix some bugs that they found in the application. This second programmer then submits these improvements to the first programmer, who gladly accepts them and incorporates them into the original project.

This cycle continues as more and more people start using the software. Most people will simply use the software, but a small percentage will contribute to the project. These contributions will be made by programmers, documentation writers, translators, beta testers, artists, web administrators, and many other important roles.

The birth of an open source business

As the community of users grows into the thousands, the size of the community eventually reaches a critical mass. This happens when a need develops for a commercial entity to provide professional services related to the open source project. This need is driven by businesses who require a support contract before they will use open source software. The commercial open source company is driven by a profit motive, but their success is directly beneficial to the open source community.

The future of an open source project?


I hope this post explains how many open source projects were created, matured, and became supported by open source businesses. Not all open source projects followed this particular evolution, but I think it is the most common life-cycle for open source projects.

What does the future hold for open source? It is always hard to predict the future, but if you have been watching closely you will see that traditional software companies have been investing in or purchasing these commercial open source companies. This means that in the near future, your traditional software vendors will actually be developing open source software, and trying to implement a successful business model based on open source.

Comments

  1. Under your "Birth of an open source business", you may want to mention the business model: the author(s) may make money by charging a client for the hours they spent improving the software. This is the same as closed-source consulting, except that the source is made available afterword. Also note that it's the same model as commercial development, except that the authors are paid only once for the hours they work, rather than once for every user of the software.

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  2. Remember sometimes the answer is just "because we can".

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  3. You can find hundreds of great links to free software downloads at FilePrompt.com. The directory lists and reviews free software, freeware, shareware, free trial software, and open source programs and applications. The free software downloads are 100% safe and secure, so whether you are searching for free anti virus software, free music programs, or free photo software, FilePrompt.com has it all!

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  4. The article misses half the point of Free Software -- the "free speech" part. Free Software developers release their software under Free licenses because they believe in the Free Software Foundation's four freedoms. If you prefer the "open source" philosophy, you would release your software under an Open Source license because of its benefits as a development model. You get not only an audit from hundreds of thousands of programmers worldwide and possibly contributions of bug fixes or new features

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