He could pay people for their work [LWN.net]

He could pay people for their work

Posted Jan 29, 2025 19:47 UTC (Wed) by Wol (subscriber, #4433)
In reply to: He could pay people for their work by marcH
Parent article: FOSDEM keynote causes concerns

And also it's completely missing the point - it's not clear but it looks like twitter provided a SERVICE using FLOSS software, and I get the impression that Dorsey was a willing and full participant in the FLOSS ecosystem. The fact that he then sold his SERVICE-provider company and earned megabucks as a result speaks to his clever business sense, not to any desire (or reality) to take advantage of others.

Again, I get the impression it's just people who lack the ambition, the guts, and the skill to take advantage of an opportunity, who have gone green at the gills because Dorsey has made his own luck.

And at the end of the day, if they can't make money off FLOSS but Dorsey can, good luck to him! As I say, he doesn't appear to have broken any rules, and there doesn't seem to be any evidence he's even betrayed the spirit ... !!! It's just a bunch of detractors consumed by the green-eyed god ...

Cheers,
Wol

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He could pay people for their work

Posted Jan 30, 2025 8:33 UTC (Thu) by lunaryorn (guest, #111088) [Link] (1 responses)

Do forgive me, but I find this a bit of a simplistic standpoint.

We're not living in Lockean times anymore (if indeed we ever did) where you mixed your labour with nature and extracted your property from the land with your own bare hands, metaphorically speaking. There's no labour theory of property anymore in our complex multi-national, highly specialised societies.

As such, I do not believe in the idea of someone seizing an "opportunity", and I do not think it offers much ground for debate. I'd much rather prefer to debate the economical, regulatory, and financial environment of internet companies, which creates these "opportunities" in the first place, and how it's - in my opinion - exceedingly and unfairly favorable towards these companies, compared to traditional industries.

And that said, as others already pointed out, Dorsey, as a person, never participated in any Foss community.

He could pay people for their work

Posted Jan 31, 2025 17:47 UTC (Fri) by alltheseas (guest, #175700) [Link]

> And that said, as others already pointed out, Dorsey, as a person, never participated in any Foss community.

This is false. Dorsey participates in the FOSS nostr community. Via nostr Dorsey has demonstrated he is looking to give back to FOSS communities.

Dorsey attending FOSDEM is a vote of confidence in the FOSS approach, and FOSS contributors.

It is extremely strange y'all are trying to scare away a potential ally who can help further FOSS contributors passion and vocation.