The Dual Nature of Open Source

Open source and free software are essential for technological advancements to continue. Almost every single piece of software relies on the use of previous breakthroughs that someone has allowed you to use for free. Sometimes, this reliance is just the fact that your software was developed on a Linux machine, or maybe you wrote your program in a language that you didn't have to pay to use. The truth is that if you couldn't use Linux or if you couldn't use that language, you would probably not have the determination to finish your program. On the other hand, you don't make much money from open source projects. In order for people to have the desire to develop new software, there usually has to be a monetary incentive. The decision whether to add to the open source community or charge for your software is quite a conundrum.