There are many reasons why people release software for free, the main ones are to generate interest and community contribution.
100% proprietary software has in the past has suffered form complacency for example right throughout the 90s MS had bad quality control record, they recognised it at the end of the decade but it has taken them almost ten years to implemented, and this included an exploit that they were aware of but choose not to fit, for almost decade. Actually I wouldn't underestimate OS influence on companies like MS. They will play it down, but will monitor and also use some of the idea generated by it.
Personally tend to favour more permissive than then far left. One thing is for certain is IP laws are a farce, and actually they are quite anti innovation and bad for competition.
The main think is vanilla has some business strategies, so they want people to get talking bout the software, but also are offering a hosted solution out of the box, which they provide dedicated support, and optimisations, and special features, which they charge for.
The key thing with idea an sharing is someone could have a better one, a better solution. If you restrict everything that can actually be quite expensive, in a market where there are a lot of free alternatives.
x00 said:
There are many reasons why people release software for free, the main ones are to generate interest and community contribution.
Will it be free [no $ ] forever in the respect of contributers? Is there any warranty?
The key thing with idea an sharing is someone could have a better one, a better solution. If you restrict everything that can actually be quite expensive, in a market where there are a lot of free alternatives.
Vanilla is free <=> XenForo/IPB/Vbulletin aren't!
both group are ok while the second group is quite expensive!
XenForo is a complete different niche, and strategy. Vbulletin started some time ago, it wouldn't have been able to make headway nowadays. It is mainly powered by it established brand image, it is a total rip off you ask me. They are in the same class as phpBB, which despite newer version are still stuck in the era of software where your views are you controller showthread.php, etc and you have no real dispatcher.
Vanilla/Garden is much more like a toolkit which you embellish. It is much more a framework with a forum app. I think a lot people don't really get that, but definitely the best way to get that across is through OS. it will take a while though.
What it is not is an all singing all dancing forum like XenForo, but if you are able to get your hand dirty it offers you a lot more freedom to do what you like, which it a limitation on exclusive licences.
Vanilla is GPL, a feature of which is if they wanted to restrict it, then they would have to abandon the code base. So there will always be a branch of it, whether it is being maintained is another issue.
Answers
There are many reasons why people release software for free, the main ones are to generate interest and community contribution.
100% proprietary software has in the past has suffered form complacency for example right throughout the 90s MS had bad quality control record, they recognised it at the end of the decade but it has taken them almost ten years to implemented, and this included an exploit that they were aware of but choose not to fit, for almost decade. Actually I wouldn't underestimate OS influence on companies like MS. They will play it down, but will monitor and also use some of the idea generated by it.
Personally tend to favour more permissive than then far left. One thing is for certain is IP laws are a farce, and actually they are quite anti innovation and bad for competition.
The main think is vanilla has some business strategies, so they want people to get talking bout the software, but also are offering a hosted solution out of the box, which they provide dedicated support, and optimisations, and special features, which they charge for.
The key thing with idea an sharing is someone could have a better one, a better solution. If you restrict everything that can actually be quite expensive, in a market where there are a lot of free alternatives.
grep is your friend.
Will it be free [no $
] forever in the respect of contributers? Is there any warranty?
Vanilla is free <=> XenForo/IPB/Vbulletin aren't!
both group are ok while the second group is quite expensive!
There rarely is empress warranty on any software.
XenForo is a complete different niche, and strategy. Vbulletin started some time ago, it wouldn't have been able to make headway nowadays. It is mainly powered by it established brand image, it is a total rip off you ask me. They are in the same class as phpBB, which despite newer version are still stuck in the era of software where your views are you controller showthread.php, etc and you have no real dispatcher.
Vanilla/Garden is much more like a toolkit which you embellish. It is much more a framework with a forum app. I think a lot people don't really get that, but definitely the best way to get that across is through OS. it will take a while though.
What it is not is an all singing all dancing forum like XenForo, but if you are able to get your hand dirty it offers you a lot more freedom to do what you like, which it a limitation on exclusive licences.
Vanilla is GPL, a feature of which is if they wanted to restrict it, then they would have to abandon the code base. So there will always be a branch of it, whether it is being maintained is another issue.
Think of the success of wordpress.
grep is your friend.