"Hey, at least you can still get the community edition for free (as in
freedom and beer) and run it without hassle."
And prop up GitLab B.V.'s proprietary software business in the process. Their
idea is very clear: Maybe you'll become a paying customer for the proprietary
version later on. Since they only get money when people do, that is clearly
what they're betting on. At the very least even if you don't it's free
advertising so maybe someone else will even if not you.
"The reason these companies do an "enterprise edition" is to give reassurance
to big companies who want support contracts and have code tailored to them.
Its a win-win as this funds the core software so the project can stay alive
and appeal to both the FLOSS and enterprise audiences."
I have no objection to that in principal - Companies can make all the support
contracts they want and have people pay them as much money as they can get,
as long as what people get in the end is free software. It used to be but it
later became proprietary. I wish it still were free.
