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--- presentations:introduction_to_software_licensing [2024/08/25 21:13] – admin
+++ presentations:introduction_to_software_licensing [2024/08/25 22:11] (current) – [Getting started with FOSS] admin
@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
   * ??? Licensing on ethical appeals?
     * For example, the JSON license says, "The Software shall be used for Good, not Evil." This has been seen as a problematic clause for not specifying what "good" or "evil" means.
-===== Other free software adjacent topics =====
+==== Other free software adjacent topics ====
 == Trademarking ==
   * ??? Maybe something on trademarks, since I think BSD or Apache may have more to say on those. Also overall say something about trademarks because you can for example use Firefox's code but if you substantially change it you just can't call it Firefox.
@@ Line 89: / Line 89: @@
 I recommend checking the contributor requirements before hacking away. Just know that CLAs tend to favor the corporations issuing them at the expense of the developers. https://blog.hansenpartnership.com/the-community-corrosive-effects-of-clas/
+--- Skylar
+===== How to pick a license? =====
+  * Consider how much legal protection the license gives, and how much trouble you will go to enforce it.
+  * Consider how much it may persuade or dissuade potential contributors
+In Summary:
+  * Permissive licenses benefit developers, who can borrow and contribute to the software more easily
+  * Restrictive licenses benefit users, who gain additional software freedom protections
+  * Proprietary licenses benefit companies who rely on source-code secrecy to profit from it
+--- Skylar
+===== Getting started with FOSS =====
+  * Understand important FOSS is to the software stack (https://xkcd.com/2347/)
+  * Understand how to report bugs and cooperate with maintainers
+  * Understand how to be a good contributor (git, mailing lists, docs, etc)
+  * Understand if a project requires you to sign your copyright away for your contributions (see above)
+  * Find a free software project and hack on it!
+    * Send PRs to your favorite projects on GitHub
+    * [[wiki:internships|Join internships dedicated to free software:]]
+    * Ask your employer to work on free software
+--- Skylar
+===== Paying the bills with FOSS =====
+Many FOSS contributors are volunteers, and many companies who take from FOSS do not contribute back. Some FOSS developers have protested this in various ways. In any case, it is clear that the work that most FOSS developers do is not proportional to their compensation for that work. So knowing that FOSS currently does not pay as well as it should, how are people currently making a living from it?
+  * Sponsorship (eg GitHub sponsors, LiberaPay)
+  * Selling the software anyways, even if people can compile it for free
+    * This is more common when compiling from source involves a difficult toolchain (Windows/MacOS/Android) or bleeding edge dependencies (projects still in development), or if buying from an online store comes with perks (eg automatic updates, achievements in the case of FOSS games sold on Steam, etc)
+    * Targeting price to platforms: Krita is free on their website, but can be paid for on the Windows Store (cite? might have been a different app). Many apps are free (or their premium version is free) on F-Droid, but paid on the Play Store and iOS. --- Jeffrey Fisher
+      *
+    Reasons probably include: Easier to take payments on store but still want to offer elsewhere. Increase number of people using it by having it be free, but still make some money from commonly used app stores.
+  * Selling non-software products (CDs, documentation, etc)
+  * Selling support
+    * This is how companies like RedHat and Canonical make money
+  * Offering hosting services
+    * Sourcehut. Mastodon, though I don't think it's paid.
+  * Donations
+  * Employment at a company that gives time to work on FOSS projects (eg Google)
+    * Many FOSS developers work on it in their free time
+--- Skylar