Hi,
Newbie4 wrote:Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) is not free. The free version of Red Hat was converted to the Fedora Project and was split off years ago.
Just for the record, there's also
CentOS, a more conservative OSS version of RHEL (compared to Fedora), perfectly suitable for servers.
Newbie4 wrote:How many users of the open source versions are actually converting to paying customers? The ones that don't, why are they not converting?
Why am I not converting? Because I don't need, and because it wouldn't give me a benefit:
I'm writing highly specialized software as a freelancer, and I charge for my time, not for the software itself. Selling software isn't useful for me, the effort to handle many payments etc. would take to much time.
Main tool is still MS-Access, but I'm doing more and more in LC. My LC projects are:
- supporting the PhP on a web server with real-time data from the in-house ERP using sockets (also handling security, i.e. log ins and orders),
- some rather simple but most useful automation tools to fire up SQL code to various databases, FTP commands to various servers (all started via AT/cron or by another program that can send shell commands), controlling and logging some backup utilities and more. And:
- my current project, setting up a framework to mimic Access' form building abilities, to make even better front ends - this may need the use of datagrids even (shudder!)
Richard wrote:
FourthWorld wrote:The biggest opportunities for small businesses software entrepreneurship are in vertical segments, and it's in these vertical segments that LiveCode shines most brightly.
100% agree. And here the OSS version shines most!
At the beginning I had a bit of fuzz with my customers about OSS, but they quickly realized the advantages:
- no license fees!
- free access to my other code!
- quick development, even on-site debugging!
(With Access, you need the full version on-site to do that, not only the runtime)
Remains the problem how RunRev could make a buck with me - and don't get me wrong, I don't intend to leech! And I realize all to well that they need to make a buck to be able to improve LC further. A few crazy ideas about that:
- A RunRev App Store.
A nicely made central app store (of course made in LC ...) where we can offer our work. With features like ratings and comments, and automated weeding out/ blocking of bad apples.
OSS apps would come for free, apps meant to be commercial would cost a fee, from which RunRev would keep a share.
Commercial apps could be made with the OSS version of LC too, they'd be locked by RR before displaying (not GPL anymore), and a certain fee for this would be collected from the first sales - maybe 25$ for the initial program, and 10$ for an update?
This would be a great display of what's possible in LC, and could be used in the marketing to huge value.
.
- Don't stoneth me, but maybe actually forking the OSS and the commercial version?
Like RedHat? "Long term service" stables with good, direct support as commercial versions, maybe? These would be developed further according to the demands of the paying people.
And then, the OSS version, developed by mostly volunteers supported by a small team of RR devs.
They would get many of the improvements of the commercial version after some time, and could add other improvements that could flow back into the comm. version.
Let's go one step further, 2 OSS teams:
- one (the "CentOS team") is ironing out any bugs still in the 6.* versions until is solid like a rock. When done, 6.max is frozen, and the team starts to work with 7.*. Same goal.
- the other team (the "Fedora team") meanwhile works at the bleeding edge, and can be utilized for testing new ideas by the devs of the commercial version ("RHEL").
.
- Sell more stuff at low costs!
For instance, more beautiful buttons/ icons/ patterns! Buyer pays maybe 5$, and gets a mid-res version. Beautiful enough to use it, but when the app is uploaded in the store (see #1), the high-res version is attached! And costs 1% of the buyers part at each payment ...
Or the "Create it"/"Academy" stuff - why not offer it to not-yet payers for reasonably low prices?
It's one thing to shell out $499, or to drop small amounts of money quite often ...
There could be even a function in the app shop where you get some "only to spent here" coin for every download of your app, no matter if commercial or OSS.
Well, don't stoneth me plz, as mentioned ;-) This is the result of a sunny afternoons thinking, and for sure not really thought through. But maybe I have been able to contribute a bit to this most interesting thread, throwing in an idea or three.
Happy coding, and have a good time!