Re:WiX Toolset: Introduce the Open Source Maintenance Fee
by speerer on Friday July 25, 2025 @07:32AM
(#44681997)
For me the most compelling argument here is that you are paying to continue to rely on the stated assumption.
It is assumed that the developers will continue to give something for free, but that will not be true forever. With support, it will be true for longer.
Re:WiX Toolset: Introduce the Open Source Maintenance Fee
by vehemenz on Friday July 25, 2025 @07:32AM
(#44681998)
Some open source projects have paid benefits for donors, like a private chat and/or issue tracker. Combine that with a very basic EULA/SLA, and it becomes nore easily justifiable as a business expense.
Re:WiX Toolset: Introduce the Open Source Maintenance Fee
by huem0n on Friday July 25, 2025 @07:55AM
(#44682137)
I think this could help lead to the corporate change you're hoping for.
Re:WiX Toolset: Introduce the Open Source Maintenance Fee
by robmensching on Friday July 25, 2025 @01:29PM
(#44685799)
I 100% agree with you, and I applaud your efforts.
However, my experience is that procurement teams will not pay unless they are required to. Once they are required to, that's what they do. Charity, good will, and responsible citizenship are not arguments to move a procurement team.
But legal... the legal team is very effective at moving the procurement team.
So far it isn't easy going: what reason is there for paying developers who already give us their work for free? Who do we even pay, if there are multiple maintainers? etc. So far I've come up with "goodwill" and "responsible citizenship" (i.e. maintain the ecosystem that sustains you), and I'm drawing a blank on that last question...