[smackfu]

>If you want to keep the software and services around that you enjoy, do what you can to make their businesses successful enough that it’s more attractive to keep running them than to be hired by a big tech company.

Nice words, but I doubt it matters. Sparrow got nothing but support for their entire company history. Every review was golden. Every user was a paid user. And they still sold out.

(Or maybe Marco means people should join his subscription program: http://www.instapaper.com/subscription )

[tptacek]

This is a series of nonstatements. Obviously, Sparrow did not get so much support that Google's offer was unattractive. Post as many gold stars as you want: if Google is outbidding the user base, it's hard to blame the developer for accepting their offer.

[smackfu]

You don't think a message of "support developers or they'll sell out" is a bit tone deaf today?

[tptacek]

No, I think the exact opposite.

[reinhardt]

Not that hard really. Not everyone sees life as bank savings optimization problem.