Not so open open source.

Warning

You are about to read something that is not open sourced! If this offends you click off.

Now that the Arch linux users are gone we can actually have a conversation.

Open sourced sucks.

I know I know, controversial. But I have a method to my madness.
Recently I've seen certain open sourced projects start to grow and I think its wonderful! The owner is gaining experience in the software industry and solving a problem that their users have.


But what is open sourced? Is it just putting your code under the MIT license and on a public repo using github?
Back in the day, it was a community effort to solve a problem. We worked hard on creating an alternative to software with niche problems that were just not being fixed.

The community was cool about it. The project owner was cool about it. Everyone was here for a good time.

It's not a marketing tool.

I can't go anywhere anymore without how "open sourced" it is being shoved down my neck. It doesn't matter if the product doesn't work, what matters is whether or not it's open.

I hate this.

I hate that anywhere I go it is the major marketing tool for the product.
I am an end user, not a hiring agent trying to see the quality of the code you used ChatGPT for.

Your product should speak for itself. It should show me why I need it quickly. It should fill a gap in my workflow.
A gap that I simply can not live without.

Open code, closed community.

I've been around quite a few open sourced communites in my time.
I cannot name to you a singular one of them that I walked away from thinking "Woah, that was absolutely amazing! I love the people behind it."
In fact, almost every single one of the communities that I've left have all had the same "Wow, I am glad I escaped that mess."

Before you go along saying "You just had bad experiences! There are great communities out there.". You are probably right.
There is probably a great community somewhere out there but I do not care. Objectively, the open sourced community is filled with complete a$$holes.
I do not wish to sit in a community around a product and be yelled at for not using an open sourced alternative to something else I use.
I do not wish to be around a predatory community which has the hivemind of convincing everyone to use something solely because it's open sourced.

Your product sucks.

Being open sourced does not save you from that.

I will be holding you to a premium standard.

Long live paid software.

Predatory payments, (I'm looking at you EA and Adobe) are a problem.
No company should be charging for micro features in their games.
No company should be charging you ~$160 to simply unsubscribe from the service you already pay for.

Time is the most valuable comodity.
If you think you have an abundance, you are wrong.
Because of that, I recognize the value of good software. Good software created by good people takes quite a bit of time
This time isn't free. And as it's not free, the developer should not be treated as though their time is worthless.
They are an incredibly unique individual bringing an experience they conceptualized to the world.
Doing so takes time. "Time is money"

Paid products weed out the children.

Let's be honest here, if you have been online for more then 30 seconds you would know how many idiot kids there are.
These days everyone has a sense of entitlement. As though they themselves are owed everything in life.

"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees. And keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life."

— Rocky Balboa 2006

Because of this, requiring a payment weeds out the individuals who expect everything to be free and handed to them.
Because of this, the responsible employed individuals are a part of the community. A community that has maturity and human decency.

So why close it?

Because software was made closed and the barrier to entry put at a price, we ensure a couple of things.

1. The owner of the product is being rewarded for their hard work.
2. The product follows the style and vision that the developer intends. Not a mangle of multiple styles.
3. The community requires a level of maturity. As you must not only have the finances to use it, but you must also have had a job.

Because of these, closed sourced is objectively a better place to be around. I am fine paying in some way as long as I can be sure the people behind it are normal and the product just works.

<3

Please read teto.lol.
This is my personal opinion that I am objectively right about.
I will always prefer a good product regardless of the source code status.
I will instantly dislike your product more then the competition if you keep selling it as being open sourced.
You are the company you keep.