

Microsoft to Invest in Rogue Android Startup Cyanogen - itsmrwave
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/01/29/microsoft-to-invest-in-rogue-android-startup-cyanogen/?mod=yahoo_hs

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bhhaskin
I have issues with open source projects suddenly becoming companies and
startups. A few people profiting off the hard work of a community.

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ewzimm
I'm confused about this comment. Isn't profiting off community work to grow
and then using that growth to contribute back exactly how the process is meant
to function? Is starting as a company and then investing and profiting from
community projects better than starting with a community project and
developing into a startup?

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onezerozeroone
What's confusing about it? An open-source project gets started...dozens or
hundreds of people contribute to make it what it is...then a relative handful
go off and sell it, profiting off the hard work of others who never see a
dime.

If you got a hundred people together to collaboratively build a mansion,
volunteering their time and resources, with the implication that it would be
something "open" and jointly built and owned by all...then flipped the house
to a private company for $10MM and kept all the proceeds...that would seem a
bit unethical, no?

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ewzimm
That makes sense. I just don't usually hear that complaint about free
software. Exploiting people's work for profit happens all over the place, but
you're talking about exploiting work where there is explicit permission to
exploit it. They are still releasing source, so if I hijack your metaphor,
they kept all the proceeds but continued to build the mansion and give
everyone with a phone the ability to instantly copy the mansion and make their
own mansion-selling business if they want.

