Eliah Kagan wrote:
That would still be most OpenBSD users, wouldn't it?
I honestly do not know as I do not have access to the size of the user
base nor the financial needs of the project. If 5000 users gave $100 per
year to the project that would be half a million dollars. Are there 5000
users? Is half a million per year more or less than the project earns
now? Half a million seems like a lot, but it only represents 10
developers on a yearly salary of $50,000, and I personally feel that
there are developers that are worth at least that much for a full time
contribution. Do the paid developers currently take more or less salary
to work full time on OpenBSD? How much of the yearly budget needs to go
toward hardware purchases? Operating expenses? Does Revenue Canada get
its dirty little fingers into this? There are too many unknown variables
to answer this.
I feel that if the user base can meet the financial needs of the project
then the user base is doing its part. Unfortunately, I know of several
people who use OpenBSD that will never send in a flat penny. These are
the same people that have 2TB of disk space on their main desktop,
running a pirated copy of Windows XP, with 2000 CDs and DVDs of pirated
music and movies sitting on their bookshelf. They feel that everything
that isn't nailed down should be free.
As a non-developer, I feel that *whatever* I do (short of becoming a
developer), I am not giving back in kind for the high value that I
have received. Yet this makes me feel grateful (and somewhat humbled),
not ashamed.
While I can definitely relate to your feelings of gratefulness, OpenBSD
isn't merely given away as a kindness to the user base. It needs to be
open and free to meet the goals of the project. If it wasn't as open as
it is then it wouldn't be as secure as it is.
And what is the shame in taking something for free and not
reciprocating when someone gives it to you for free and makes clear
that there are no strings attached and that they want it that way?
The shame enters the picture when you place expectations for additional
output from the people giving freely. I see people griping all the time
for this or that feature, or support for this or that hardware. I see
this from people who contribute nothing and never will. People complain
that certain hardware is not supported very well, but have they ever
written even one email to the vendor demanding open documentation? These
people should be ashamed, but of course they never will.
I agree with everything you say in principle, I'm just not convinced it
is the best position to take on the matter. I wish people and companies
who use OpenBSD would recognize the value they receive and contribute
back accordingly to ensure that the project can continue on to bigger
and brighter things.
But... wish in one hand, shit in the other, and see which one fills up
first.
Breeno
