[gnulinux]

Yeah but both free software and open source are well defined terms MongoDB doesn't have power to redefine (sorry guys). It's good to be principled because then you make fewer arbitrary decisions along the way. Your new license isn't free nor open; it's just a custom proprietary license that allows people see the source code and fork; just like freeware software can be "for gratis" but it's never "free software" or "open source". So, MongoDB is definitely proprietary software now. And it didn't used to be proprietary, and I think it's definitely a valid question whether this relicensing has something to do with greed. In the meanwhile, Debian and other free-only distros (e.g. GNU distros) should not include MongoDB.

I'm under the impression that everything in the paragraph above is objective and not subjective. I do not claim it is definitely greed, but since MongoDB did a completely arbitrary move to make license favoring them, it's valid to ask this question. My subjective opinion is that MongoDB committed suicide and they'll be forgotten in a few years time.

[metheus]

I also work for MongoDB.

I respect your opinion about whether the SSPL is free or open, but it is not one that is uniformly shared by the OSI, as evidenced by the discussion currently underway in the license-approval mailing list. Many have argued in its favor. On that basis, some of your assertions in paragraph one are subjective.

Not that there’s anything wrong with subjectivity! I think it is valid to ask the question of whether the move was motivated by greed... it’s even understandable why people would default to that conclusion. (I wish that weren’t the case, but I’m not naive.)

Since you’re asking, I will give you my answer: the SSPL was created to make it viable for open source projects that are largely or completely funded by a single entity to remain funded in an era of large cloud vendors. While it is about revenue, it is not about greed.

The proof of the pudding is in the tasting, and I won’t ask you to just buy my claim. Just keep your eyes open for a conspicuous absence of MongoDB strong-arming community MongoDB users into buying commercial licenses.

As far as including MongoDB in Debian et al, goes, we absolutely respect process and principles. We’re waiting to see what the feedback from the OSI is.

[bad_user]

Businesses have to survive in a competitive market, I get it, you don't have to apologize for it and it's not greed, it's just how the market works.

That said, you did not work with OSI or the FSF before changing the license. And your company is not the only contributor to MongoDB, you have third party contributors as well, who did not have a say in it, because of the copyright attribution that you require.

In other words, you did not collaborate with OSI or the FSF and you screwed your contributors.

It's good that you're now waiting on feedback from OSI, but the damage to the FOSS ecosystem was already done.

[metheus]

I appreciate your comment about how the market works, thanks for that.

You certainly have a point about our not working with the OSI prior to issuing the SSPL. All other things being equal, we would like to have, but as a publicly traded company it's just not responsible to announce "we will be changing our license... to... something... we'll get back to you on what that'll be... sometime."

We weren't happy about it, but we're doing the best we can given the constraints. We're all grownups, and accept that one of the consequences is that some in the OSS community feel betrayed by that change, but we ask that you let our actions going forward, not the worst suspicions of those most predisposed to judge us harshly, determine what you think of our dedication to OSS and our community.

As for non-employee contributors to the MongoDB codebase (who account for about 3% of the codebase), I think we should credit them with the same adult responsibility for their actions as we hold MongoDB to. Their contributions were made in full knowledge of the attribution requirement, and we have no reason to believe -- and no evidence -- that they resent anything MongoDB as a company has done.