I would be much more excited in finding ways to fund public infrastructure like Amazon does Prime rather than going the other way around. If anything, academic open source which is the closest alternative has not really produced much and the production open source that actually works is by and large corporate-sponsored.
P.S. The article also opens by contrasting open source consumption and contribution. In a certain sense, as the article acknowledges later, I care much much more about government consuming free software, as a neutral platform to avoid lock-in for themselves and the taxpayer, as well as providing an open foundation for integration and letting people use free software if they choose to (and not lock them to iOS and Android, for instance.) That alone is one of the biggest ways they can contribute. The actual code contribution will come naturally if they do that.
e40 · 6m ago
Generally the people working on academic oss have other incentives (degree, research) and they are often on the inexperienced side.
If it was a primary function and was staffed independently of educational programs, it could work and be a great teaching tool for actual students.
JimDabell · 8m ago
> fund public infrastructure like Amazon does Prime
I’m not sure I understand what you mean by this?
tgma · 4m ago
A capitalist institution, in this case Amazon, charges some basic tax for providing basic services, e.g. package delivery, that have overlap with traditionally public infrastructure, but executes at a higher quality.
One could imagine something like RedHat or a quasi-coop Apache Foundation that actually employs high-quality people and pays them to develop code and sells subscription/support.
sirwitti · 1h ago
Just in case people don't realize, the author is Dries Buytaert who created drupal.
sam_lowry_ · 1h ago
Once successful PHP-based CMS that succumbed to in-fighting, poor code and excessive drug use among its top proponents?
sirwitti · 1h ago
Why once successful?
But more importantly, tell me more about the scandals, I love good gossip :)
flowerthoughts · 2h ago
Perhaps make open source work tax deductible, just like charity donations?
tgma · 1h ago
Isn't it already? You deduct the salary expense from your corporate profits.
chii · 1h ago
but what would be the deducted amount, in dollar value, when the work is voluntary? Do you get assigned a dollar value per line, per hour worked, or you just guestimate?
P.S. The article also opens by contrasting open source consumption and contribution. In a certain sense, as the article acknowledges later, I care much much more about government consuming free software, as a neutral platform to avoid lock-in for themselves and the taxpayer, as well as providing an open foundation for integration and letting people use free software if they choose to (and not lock them to iOS and Android, for instance.) That alone is one of the biggest ways they can contribute. The actual code contribution will come naturally if they do that.
If it was a primary function and was staffed independently of educational programs, it could work and be a great teaching tool for actual students.
I’m not sure I understand what you mean by this?
One could imagine something like RedHat or a quasi-coop Apache Foundation that actually employs high-quality people and pays them to develop code and sells subscription/support.
But more importantly, tell me more about the scandals, I love good gossip :)