[orionblastar]

FOSS like a free toilet needs maintenance from time to time. In Thailand, the toilets are pay in some areas and they clean them and take care of them. In the USA they used to have paid toilets but got rid of them because it was called discrimination against the poor.

A reason why pay software does so well is that there is hand holding within a phone call away if something goes wrong. With FOSS you might have a bug report and hope it gets fixed in the next release.

[mikekchar]

On the other hand, I'm having a hard time thinking of a single pay toilet in Japan where I live. I'm sure they exist, but they aren't common. The toilets are also spotless, by and large. It's part of the business ethos to provide clean toilets for the public.

The idea that businesses should pay for software that is important to their infrastructure is somewhat similar. I mean, you don't have to pay, but businesses are increasingly getting the idea that it is good for their business to do so. Although I'm a dyed in the wool "Free as in Freedom" guy, I think the Open Source movement has done a lot of good by explaining to businesses that it's not just an ethical movement. It's good for business too. That message is important.

Edit: Spelling

[SXX]

> A reason why pay software does so well is that there is hand holding within a phone call away if something goes wrong. With FOSS you might have a bug report and hope it gets fixed in the next release.

I dont want to play any kind of fanboy here, but in case of many software products unless you talking of huge corporate customer it's very unlikely to get any kind of proper fix faster than in open source software. Yeah there is few software companies that play close attention to end-users problems and rapidly provide fixes, but in most cases you have to wait month+ to see fix included in some future release.

What author in the link is talking about is that end users of FOSS aren't often financially support developers or just random people who play role of user support within community.

[msla]

> A reason why pay software does so well is that there is hand holding within a phone call away if something goes wrong.

This is obviously untrue unless you have a support contract in hand, which means you're a business.

[zeroname]

> In the USA they used to have paid toilets but got rid of them because it was called discrimination against the poor.

Meanwhile, in "socialist" Europe, paid toilets are the norm. Then again, wild urination isn't a sex offense either.

[Thiez]

Perhaps not a sex offense, but it can still be illegal. Here in the Netherlands it's illegal in the "bebouwde kom" (basically within a village/town/city). But it's fine when you're in a forest somewhere (within reason - don't piss on someones leg).

[wongarsu]

In Europe you have to try very hard to fall below the level where you can afford 1€ for a toilet. Arguments that poor people can't use pay toilets don't really work with all that money spent to make sure people always have enough to life with some dignity.

[nnq]

...it's not about affording: when they're drunk and can't find any change in your pocket, they end up pissing on a wall and stiking up the whole street. Some things need to be free even if they are easily affordable simply because (1) there's enough tax money to cover for it, and (2) a (large) proportion of people will simply find payment inconvenient so won't use the paid service, making life stinkier for everyone around.

But hey, at least they got it right with EDUCATION, which probably matters more than this :)