Hi Martin,
open source is great: in times when things go well, many contribute (and things go even better). But the truth is that in the long haul (and the nitty-gritty of tedious work is required), someone must be paid to do the work. Let us look to Linux and Android. Linux is mostly still run on a voluntary basis, but with important commercial partners/off springs like Suse, RedHat and Mandrake, that all have helped advance Linux. For Android it is even more clear - Android had not been where it currently is without the vast resources put in by Google. The Android business model is a bit different from that of Linux -- the "economics" of Android is based on making other software (like Chrome) more palatable, and by lowering costs to consumers for buying Android devices, which in turn increases traffic, including the use of Google's services.
eCS is in a different situation. There are probably less than 100 K private eCS users left in the world. Open source routes, like those of Linux or Android, are unlikely to create the revenues needed to fund the boring polishing work (I assume many computer interested people enjoy working (and succeeding) on the fun parts, like cracking problems like ACPI etc.), but documenting and making stuff available for other hardware than one's own, is not fun. And to undertake "not fun" tasks (or tasks that are not rewarding in other ways), people usually require some pay. This is where licensing is important.
Licensing is also the same business model applied by academic societies (where I am member of many, and have been president of one): membership fees cover for costs. To keep the membership base (and preferably to increase it), the expected benefits of the membership must exceed members' costs.
This is where eCS (Xeu/Mensys) currently struggles. Too little progress, uncertain deliveries etc. make users doubt the future. For me, and many other eCS users, it would be a loss if eCS were to vanish. Therefore, we gamble (hoping sufficiently many others also gamble) by paying the modest license fee to create revenues that cover the costs of keeping eCS operational, and by being a good platform, attract new users.
I wish I were wrong, and that it would be possible to keep eCS for free. But I doubt it. Somewhere, there must be some revenues to cover for the boring, but necessary part of making software run on hardware different from ones own.
Have a thoughtful day
Eirik
I understand Martin his drive for open source. But when it comes to large projects I told him many times it takes time to develop something. And large projects mostly requires paid people.
And do not take my word for it. This guy has presented at LNFW (LinuxFest Northwest) for some years he did so already
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh-cnaJoGCw.
I think it was this video I watched... The presenter mentions somewherre in that video that Linux has big money behind it. If its for the kernel or the different graphic user shells.
Its far from just volunteers that develop code in spare time.
So while open source does a lot for OS/2 and would be dead without it. Open source has primarly allowed a lot of people to work and port stuff from primarly Linux to OS/2.
But the work is mostly (big projects) done by paid or low paid people.
So I understand the will to see stuff have open source as so much nice OS/2 software died because it was closed source. But open source is not a warranty to keep OS/2 alive.
Just like with Linux (which I recently looked into more), more and more money flowed into the product over the years. A lot of critical mass came from large cooperate funding.
As for eCS I can not state much. I like OS/2 a lot and type this message on my laptop running eCS. But as you can see on my linked in profile and have possibly heard I have left Mensys.
I am still president of VOICE and will remain so. I will also be in the forums.
What Mensys is currently doing with eCS I do not know. I have seen messages from Lewis Rosenthal popup he is starting a new company. What will happen from here I do not know.
I am staying tuned to forums and mailing lists.
Roderick Klein