| > All innovation begins as closed source I think you need to check your history. In the early days, before closed/proprietary software, source code was often shared between programmers. Lets look at text editors. They did not begin "closed source" - but companies have a team of people to help SELL their products, even if they are inferior to whats already out there. Baically, once computers matured was an opportunity to make a buck. Companies started selling their products for a fee. I would not be surprised if the source code was included before someone realised people can just pay for the executable. More money can be made by excluding the source code so new updates can also be for a fee. (Lets not talk about "End user Licence Agreements" in this post, OK) The "dominance" of closed source is really about companies with money controlling the status quo, with lawyers and sales teams knowing how to push it in favour. Companies like Micro$oft today have soo much money they dictate the direction our computers systems are going. They push it in a direction that favours them. They have a hand controlling the flow, like other big companies having a hand trying to change to stream for their intent and purposes. This is why -- whether you love him or hate him, I have much respects for people like Richard Stallman or others like Linus Torvalds.. to name a few! You want to talk about "innovation" ?? What do you think these "Closed source innovations" are build with? Software is created using a Programming language such as Python, C++, C, Javascript, etc... the VAST MAJORITY being free to use, under some sort of Open Source community! Lets also look at large companies in general.. many of which are not innovating... they are just purchasing smaller companies that are trying to do new things... closed source software or not. Lastly, lets also be honest that innovation is not created out of thin air -- everything is inspired by something previously.. whether a failed experiment or something already successful. New ideas come about with more failures.. but comes further ideas until, eventually, we have something successful! Linux may be inspired by other Operating Systems, and those were inspired by other things, etc. Innovation is progressive. Point I am making, if any company found ANY opportunity to build a closed-source version to shut down a popular Open Source equiverlant... THEY WOULD DO IT! |