[konjin]

You need to start paying for software because if you don't then you're the product.

Payment might include leasing out your infrastructure to the project until cryptos become viable for something other than ponzi schemes.

[berkes]

There is a fallacy in that conclusion though.

When you pay, you may still be a product. There is no (economic) law that dictates that when you pay, your data may not be sold.

Paying customers might dissapear if they find out you make additional profit through datamining or -sales. So there is more incentive not to sell or mine data, but it is no guarantee.

The only guarantee is when technology ensures the service provider does not have the data at all. E.g. through e2e encryption.

[HotVector]

Exactly. It is more lucrative to provide a product for free and make money mining data rather than providing a paid product, and this is even making it harder for competitors to enter the market and not die instantly. The next logical step is not paid products, but rather open source ones with distribued data storage.

[matkoniecz]

Are you aware of software developed as a hobby or as part of the actual product (without making the user a product) or as a limited version demonstrating full product?

[konjin]

There is a reason why we don't visit surgeons who do it as a hobby.

[HotVector]

I don't see anyone asking for professional knitters on Etsy