[glogla]

Maybe. Or maybe you are just helping the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Whether proprietary software is a force for good or just another mechanism of exploitation is a matter of opinion, and the GP might not share yours.

[charcircuit]

As a child starting from $0 I built up almost all of the money I have now doing contract work by making closed source software using open source software. Being able to quickly make things without even having to spend any money is great for someone with no money. It didn't make me poorer as someone with $0, it made me much richer. I know my software was a positive to the lives of many people even if it is closed source.

[eropple]

Are you giving back to the people who enabled you to do so?

[charcircuit]

Honestly, no. They released their software for free, so that's what I will pay.

[rbanffy]

If you are making money using open source software, it's always nice to support the creators of the software you use.