Another free software related business model
Recently I've discovered Knowledge Tree project (document management system). It claims to be open source and licensed under GPL. On the first look, everything looks very nice. The problem is that documentation is not available for free!
Yes, you've heard me well - the code itself is free and open, but documentation is not! Why anyone will want to start off with something new without having it documented?
Such business model reminds me old joke: "We give cars for free! But without steer wheel, pedals and arm brake handle - for those you'll have to pay."
The problem is not about selling documentation. The problem is about stating things. Before open source era, such companies were fully commercial. Now, since their product is written mostly in scripting language, it is hard to protect their code anyway. Then one day someone came up and said - "Hey, customers have access to our code anyway - lets make money of it!". And now they start waving with various "open" and "free" slogans.
Successful software companies sell proprietary software and give documentation for free. Less successful do the reverse.
Update 15.01.2006:
KnowledgeTree guys posted comments, saying that they have publibshed project manuals for free download.
Yes, you've heard me well - the code itself is free and open, but documentation is not! Why anyone will want to start off with something new without having it documented?
Such business model reminds me old joke: "We give cars for free! But without steer wheel, pedals and arm brake handle - for those you'll have to pay."
The problem is not about selling documentation. The problem is about stating things. Before open source era, such companies were fully commercial. Now, since their product is written mostly in scripting language, it is hard to protect their code anyway. Then one day someone came up and said - "Hey, customers have access to our code anyway - lets make money of it!". And now they start waving with various "open" and "free" slogans.
Successful software companies sell proprietary software and give documentation for free. Less successful do the reverse.
Update 15.01.2006:
KnowledgeTree guys posted comments, saying that they have publibshed project manuals for free download.
posted by Hai Zaar at
Sunday, September 04, 2005
1 Comments:
We have released the KT manuals for free download and encourage users to download them.
Kind regards,
The KT Team
By
Anonymous, at 3:17 PM
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