[jqpabc123]

Yes, Open Source is killing the software market --- everything is moving to become a subscription/service.

What this means for users --- you'll pay over and over again for what used to be available for a one time fee.

What this means for developers --- less opportunity to earn a living doing what you love. How do you make money developing Open Source? Short answer --- you don't.

This is all a good thing, right? Right?

[simonblack]

You're wrong in saying that Open Source is leading to everything becoming a Subscription or a Service that will cost you. That's a separate commercial issue for software companies to decide upon for themselves. Microsoft, for example, have progressed along the line: Retail Sales direct to Consumers, Software Bundled with Hardware, Software as Subscription Service.

Open Source means that you can program/compile/produce that software yourself. And that means you are free ("libre") to obtain that software for free ("without cost").

You are correct, more or less, in saying that developers today have less opportunity to earn a living doing programming. But this is merely the constant trend of cottage-industries eventually giving way to large-scale industries. The single independent programmer eventually becomes one of a team, be that a commercial team or an Open Source team, or even both.

Most Open Source developers are engaged in the Programming Industry.