[demarq]

After I left a job I wrote a library to accomplish something we really struggled with at my previous company.

I realized that if I open sourced and maintained it and my old company used it, then I’d basically be working my old job with no pay.

It completely changed the way I view open source.

[mxuribe]

That's certainly one perspective....But, another could be that you could now be considered an expert in your library, and your old company's direct competitors are free to hire you for this expertise. This of course needs to take into considerations whatever agreements you have/had with your old company. Yet another perspective is that your old compoany could hire you as a highly-paid consultant to help them support your library, etc...In this latter case, you "win" because you're not helping competitors, and your old company "hurts" ever so slightly by needing to pay you hopefully more than when they had employed you....i'm sure there are other opportunities for you - that have and have not to do with your old employer/company. Then, there's also the more philosopihical perspective: don't look back, just forget them, and move on with your life. :-)

[dolmen]

Except that the company might be interested in paying you to use the library, not to maintain the library itself.

"don't look back, just forget them, and move on with your life" is a better advice.

[stronglikedan]

Surely you could have had a clause in the license along the line of "free to everyone... except Old Company, they can get bent."

[demarq]

Haha, yes that’s a possibility . But in all seriousness I don’t hold a grudge against the company.

It’s just the first time I realized this is thousands of dollars worth of work and a hefty commitment to support a profit making entity.

It just doesn’t make sense.

[sandreas]

While I get your point, I'm not sure I share your opinion.

You would not work for your old company with no pay, you would work for everyone interested, but most important you can make the decisions yourself. Maybe even other devs decide to work for you by submitting PRs.

Additionally you improved your skills at your old company, which they basically paid for and what led to an awesome open source project that can be used by everyone...

That's just my point oft view.