[Mediawiki-l] Please convince me to make my software open source

[Ryan Lane]

> You really shouldn't make it open source.  If your business model at all
> involves making money directly off these extensions, then open-sourcing
> it will remove any barrier whatsoever to people paying you for them.
> It's simply absurd.
>

All of my extensions are open source. I have made money off of most of
them by doing support. I make money doing support even though I
generally give support away for free. People are willing to pay to
have faster turnaround, and to have features added that are more work
than I'm willing to do in my spare time for free.

Open sourcing the extensions makes it far more likely that people will
use them. It'll be more likely that they'll get improved, and
maintained, and that features will be added more quickly. That is a
perfect situation to offer support services. Since these extensions
are for enterprise environments, it is likely that support will sell
fairly well.

Respectfully,

Ryan Lane